We would like to invite you to the Open Lecture Series, which will include a speech by PHD Courtney Blackington of the University of Pittsburg (USA). The lecture will be held at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism (room 226) at 11:15 am.
Dr. Courtney Blackington is a Teaching Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on protest, conspiracy theories, and democratic backsliding in East Central Europe. Her work has been published in Perspectives on Politics, Government and Opposition, East European Politics, and East European Politics and Societies. Her research has been supported by the U.S. Department of State, the European Union, American Councils, and Polish American Fulbright Commission.
Can populist politicians who leverage conspiracy theories (CT) to win electoral support and legitimize anti-democratic policies actually earn more votes or increase public support for their anti-democratic policies? Using a pair of pre-registered survey experiments in Poland surrounding the 2023 parliamentary elections and surveys from 21 countries, we find that variation in CT communication frames affects people's willingness to endorse anti-democratic policies. We show that the electoral defeat of a populist party that engages CTs to justify backsliding surprisingly increases out-partisans' support for that party. These results suggest that when populist politicians deploy the conspiratorial rhetoric after losing office, they can boost both anti-democratic attitudes and electoral support—recruiting support from previously unsympathetic groups.
