Young man sitting in a dark room before a wall featuring various conspiracy theory-related items illuminated by a computer screen

America’s Crisis of Confidence: Rising Mistrust, Conspiracies, and Vaccine Hesitancy After COVID-19

Findings from the May 2023 American Perspectives Survey

America is experiencing a crosscutting crisis of expertise and scientific distrust accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic that poses significant challenges to democratic debate and public decision-making.

Read the survey report
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When it Comes to Conspiracy Theories, Education Matters
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Evangelical Christian Republicans are more likely to embrace conspiracy theories. One explanation? Their affinity to Trump.
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Holiday Spending in 2020
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The holidays look different this year. In addition to traveling less, having smaller gatherings, and gathering virtually, Americans are also altering their spending habits.

The unsubstantiated claim of voter fraud is widely held among Republicans with nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of Republicans say the statement “there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election” is mostly or completely accurate, a view shared by only 22 percent of independents and 2 percent of Democrats.

Americans expressed greater agreement about the existence of fraud in the 2016 presidential election. Eighteen percent of Democrats, 20 percent of independents, and 27 percent of Republicans believe there was evidence of election fraud in 2016.

 

Survey Reports
The Great American Jobs Reshuffle

The Great American Jobs Reshuffle

July 15, 2021
The State of American Friendship: Change, Challenges, and Loss

The State of American Friendship: Change, Challenges, and Loss

June 8, 2021
Social Isolation and Community Disconnection are Not Spurring Conspiracy Theories

Social Isolation and Community Disconnection are Not Spurring Conspiracy Theories

March 4, 2021
After the Ballots are Counted: Conspiracies, Political Violence, and American Exceptionalism

After the Ballots are Counted: Conspiracies, Political Violence, and American Exceptionalism

February 11, 2021
Dating in the Trump era: How politics is changing romance | IN 60 SECONDS

Partisan politics of the Trump era have become a part of daily life, often serving as a point of contention in basic social interactions — and new survey results show that it’s affecting our dating lives as well. AEI’s Jacqueline Clemence explains.