Nancy RosenblumA Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy

The Irving Howe Memorial Lecture

Conspiracy theory has always been with us, but today it is taking dangerous new forms that threaten democracy. “The new conspiracism” assaults common sense, increases political extremism, and, especially when condoned by elected officials, becomes a malignant force in American life. Nancy L. Rosenblum, who is Senator Joseph Clark Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government emerita at Harvard University, addresses this crisis, drawing on ideas in her book A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy.
 
Presented with the Center for the Humanities.

Part of the series “The Promise and Perils of Democracy.” This project is made possible in part with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

About the Author

Nancy L. Rosenblum is the Senator Joseph Clark Research Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government at Harvard University. Her books include Good Neighbors: The Democracy of Everyday Life in America and On the Side of the Angels: An Appreciation of Parties and Partisanship (both Princeton). She lives in New York City.