Book contents
- The Social Science of QAnon
- The Social Science of QAnon
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I Introduction to QAnon
- Part II Recruiting and Maintaining Followers
- Part III QAnon and Society
- Chapter 8 QAnon in the Year 2020
- Chapter 9 QAnon and the Politics of 2020
- Chapter 10 The QAnon Conspiracy Narrative
- Chapter 11 The Need to Belong
- Part IV The Role of Communication in Promoting and Limiting QAnon Support
- Part V The Future of QAnon
- Index
- References
Chapter 9 - QAnon and the Politics of 2020
from Part III - QAnon and Society
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 September 2023
Edited by
Book contents
- The Social Science of QAnon
- The Social Science of QAnon
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I Introduction to QAnon
- Part II Recruiting and Maintaining Followers
- Part III QAnon and Society
- Chapter 8 QAnon in the Year 2020
- Chapter 9 QAnon and the Politics of 2020
- Chapter 10 The QAnon Conspiracy Narrative
- Chapter 11 The Need to Belong
- Part IV The Role of Communication in Promoting and Limiting QAnon Support
- Part V The Future of QAnon
- Index
- References
Summary
QAnon attracted considerable attention from politicians and the press during 2020. Headlines claimed that the group had exploded across social media platforms and was becoming mainstream; these claims were supported by instances of violence and studies of online activity. However, public opinion polls tell a different story. We examine polling data from 2018–2021 to understand the size and scope of QAnon support. Only 5–8 percent of the American public supports QAnon, making it one of the least supported conspiracy theories typically polled on. Moreover, support for the QAnon movement has remained stable over time, with no indication of becoming “mainstream.” We also find that QAnon support is less the product of left-right orientations, as often argued, than anti-establishment sentiments and anti-social personality traits. We argue that politicians strategically trafficked in QAnon rhetoric to expand their support, simultaneously activating a once irrelevant dimension of public opinion.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Social Science of QAnonA New Social and Political Phenomenon, pp. 140 - 158Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023
References
Bessi, A., Coletto, M., Davidescu, G. A., Scala, A., Caldarelli, G., & Quattrociocchi, W. (2015). Science vs conspiracy: Collective narratives in the age of misinformation. PLoS ONE, 10(2), e0118093.Google Scholar
Bump, P. (2019, March 28). The murder of an alleged gangster on Staten Island loops in an unexpected figure: QAnon. The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/03/28/murder-an-alleged-gangster-staten-island-loops-an-unexpected-figure-qanon/Google Scholar
Collins, B. (2020, August 14). How QAnon rode the pandemic to new heights – and fueled the viral anti-mask phenomenon. NBC News. www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/how-qanon-rode-pandemic-new-heights-fueled-viral-anti-mask-n1236695Google Scholar
Enders, A., & Uscinski, J. (2021a). Are misinformation, anti-scientific claims, and conspiracy theories for political extremists? Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(4), 583–605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Enders, A., & Uscinski, J. (2021b). The role of anti-establishment orientations in the Trump presidency. The Forum, 19(1), 47–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Enders, A., Uscinski, J., Klofstad, C., Premaratne, K., Seelig, M., Wuchty, S., Murthi, M., & Funchion, J. (2021). The 2020 presidential election and beliefs about fraud: Continuity or change? Electoral Studies, 72, 102366.Google Scholar
Enders, A., Uscinski, J., Klofstad, C., Wuchty, S., Seelig, M., Funchion, J., Murthi, M., Premaratne, K., & Stoler, J. (2022). Who supports QAnon? A case study in political extremism. Journal of Politics, 84(3), 1844–1849.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Furnham, A., Richards, S. C., & Paulhus, D. L. (2013). The dark triad of personality: A 10 year review. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(3), 199–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gabbatt, A. (2020, October 16). Trump refuses to disavow QAnon conspiracy theory during town hall. The Guardian. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/15/qanon-trump-refuses-disavow-conspiracy-theory-town-hallGoogle Scholar
Halvorsen, M. (2021, June 28). Not every QAnon believer’s an antisemite. But there’s a lot of overlap between its adherents and belief in a century-old antisemitic hoax. Morning Consult. https://morningconsult.com/2021/06/28/qanon-antisemitism-right-wing-authoritarianism-polling/Google Scholar
Ingram, M. (2020, August 13). The QAnon cult is growing and the media is helping. Columbia Journalism Review. www.cjr.org/the_media_today/the-qanon-conspiracy-cult-is-growing-and-the-media-is-helping.phpGoogle Scholar
Iyengar, S., & Hahn, K. S. (2009). Red media, blue media: Evidence of ideological selectivity in media use. Journal of Communication, 59(1), 19–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kessler, G. (2015, May 28). The bogus claim that 300,000 U.S. children are “at risk” of sexual exploitation. The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/05/28/the-bogus-claim-that-300000-u-s-children-are-at-risk-of-sexual-exploitation/Google Scholar
Lamoureux, M. (2020, July 29). QAnon has gone global. Vice News. www.vice.com/en/article/pkym3k/qanon-conspiracy-has-gone-globalGoogle Scholar
Lodge, M., & Taber, C. S. (2013). The rationalizing voter. Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marcotte, A. (2020, August 13). Is QAnon the new Christian right? With evangelicals fading, a new insanity rises. Salon.com. www.salon.com/2020/08/13/is-qanon-the-new-christian-right-with-evangelicals-fading-a-new-insanity-rises/Google Scholar
Moorhouse, D., & Malone, E. (2020, September 4). Here’s why BuzzFeed News is calling QAnon a “collective delusion” from now on. Buzzfeed. www.buzzfeednews.com/article/drumoorhouse/qanon-mass-collective-delusion-buzzfeed-news-copy-deskGoogle Scholar
Musgrave, P. (2018, August 2). Conspiracy theories are for losers. QAnon is no exception. The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/08/02/conspiracy-theories-are-for-losers-qanon-is-no-exception/Google Scholar
PRRI. (2021, May 27). Understanding QAnon’s connection to American politics, religion, and media consumption. PRRI.org. www.prri.org/research/qanon-conspiracy-american-politics-report/Google Scholar
Roose, K. (2020, August 20). Think QAnon is on the fringe? So was the Tea Party. The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/technology/qanon-tea-party.htmlGoogle Scholar
Samuels, B., & Rodrigo, C. M. (2020, August 19). Trump praises QAnon supporters: They “love our country.” The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/512821-trump-praises-qanon-supporters-they-love-our-countryGoogle Scholar
Seetharaman, D. (2020, August 13). QAnon booms on Facebook as conspiracy group gains mainstream traction. Wall Street Journal. www.wsj.com/articles/qanon-booms-on-facebook-as-conspiracy-group-gains-mainstream-traction-11597367457Google Scholar
Shammas, B. (2020, January 8). A mother teamed up with QAnon followers to kidnap her son from protective custody, police say. The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/crime-law/2020/01/08/mother-teamed-up-with-qanon-followers-kidnap-her-son-protective-custody-police-say/Google Scholar
Steck, E., & Andrew, K. (2021, January 26). Marjorie Taylor Greene indicated support for executing prominent Democrats in 2018 and 2019 before running for Congress. CNN. www.cnn.com/2021/01/26/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-democrats-violence/index.htmlGoogle Scholar
Stelter, B. (2020, August 15). QAnon is conspiratorial, dangerous, and growing. And we’re talking about it all wrong. CNN. www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/media/qanon-news-coverage/index.htmlGoogle Scholar
Stroud, N. J. (2010). Polarization and partisan selective exposure. Journal of Communication, 60(3), 556–576.Google Scholar
Uscinski, J., & Enders, A. (2021, March 9). Unfounded fears about sex trafficking did not begin with QAnon and go far beyond it. LSE USAPP Blog. https://bit.ly/3qx9keUGoogle Scholar
Uscinski, J., Enders, A., Seelig, M. I., Klofstad, C. A., Funchion, J. R., Everett, C., Wuchty, S., Premaratne, K., & Murthi, M. N. (2021). American politics in two dimensions: Partisan and ideological identities versus anti-establishment orientations. American Journal of Political Science, 65(4), 877–895.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Uscinski, J., Enders, A. M., Stefan, W., Klofstad, C., Seelig, M., Funchion, J., Murthi, M., Premaratne, K., & Everett, C. (2020). Why do people believe COVID-19 conspiracy theories? The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review, 1, 1–12.Google Scholar
Zadrozny, B., & Collins, B. (2020, August 21). QAnon looms behind nationwide rallies and viral #SavetheChildren hashtags. NBC News. www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/qanon-looms-behind-nationwide-rallies-viral-hashtags-n1237722Google Scholar