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This books addresses two questions : When do regimes promote conspiracy claims ? And what are their effects ? This book moves beyond psychological explanations to explore the politics surrounding conspiracy theories. Using a new database of over 1,500 conspiracy claims collected from 12 post-Soviet states from 1995 to 2014, it shows that the wielders of conspiracy tend to enter the fray in moments of uncertainty, chaos, and panic. Conspiracy claims flow most freely where there is serious political competition rather than unbridled autocracy; and in response to destabilizing events that challenge a ruler's claim to maintain order. Leaders who anticipate future challenges can disseminate conspiracy narratives proactively as an insurance policy. But if conspiracy becomes overused, it can also backfire. Surveys and focus groups from Georgia and Kazakhstan reveal individuals who are exposed to a greater amount of intrigue are more cynical and conspiratorial. Yet, conspiracists are also suspicious of the motives of authority figures who tout conspiratorial ideas. The upshot is that conspiracism may fail as a political strategy. The books sheds light on a region where conspiracy theories have long been part of mainstream political discourse. It reveals how they emerge from a combination of cutthroat politics, widespread cynicism, and the absence of trusted, neutral institutions that can adjudicate the truth. At a time of heightened distrust in democratic institutions and rising populism around the world, understanding how conspiracy theories are used in a region where democracy came late - or never arrived - can be instructive for concerned citizens everywhere.

Conspiracy theories --- CONSPIRACY THEORIES--RUSSIA (FEDERATION) --- CONSPIRACY THEORIES--FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS --- Conspiracy theories - Russia (Federation) --- Conspiracy theories - Former Soviet republics