Who do you believe? Political parties and conspiracy theories in Pakistan

Bibliographic Data

ID6316779
AuthorsNiloufer Siddiqui (0000-0002-1816-5378, University at Albany, State University of New York, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume26
Issue2
Pages107-119
Publication date2020-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueParty Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1354-0688 • E-ISSN: 1460-3683
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1354068817749777
OpenAlexW2783237215
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited30

In authoritarian states, emerging democracies, and well-established democracies alike, alternative accounts that contest official state narratives are common. Why do people believe such accounts even in the absence of supporting evidence? While this question has been explored in the United States, relatively little research has assessed it in other contexts. Through a survey experiment carried out in Pakistan, this article tests the impact of cues by political parties on belief in such conspiracy theories. The results provide evidence in favor of partisan cueing: When alternative narratives are endorsed by political parties viewed favorably by the respondent, they are more likely to be believed. I suggest that political parties are able to capitalize on misinformation and a lack of trust in official institutions for tactical advantage. Results differ by subgroup: Higher income and urban respondents are swayed more by their own party source than are lower income and rural individuals

Authoritarianism · CONTEST · Democracy · Economics · Misinformation · Narrative · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Respondent · Sociology · State (computer science · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology

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