From Q to Querdenken: Conspiracy Theories in Germany and the United States

Conspiracy theories have proliferated in the past few years in Germany and the United States, especially after COVID-19 forced communities into lockdown. Anti-vaccine conspiracies have slowed U.S. and German efforts to combat the pandemic. What is the attraction to conspiracies in our transatlantic communities, and how do they become dangerous? What are methods societies can use to combat the proliferation of extremist theories in their communities?

Speakers:
Meili Criezis, Graduate Fellow, Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL); PhD student in Justice, Law, and Criminology, American University; Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) Contributor
Brian Hughes, Research Assistant Professor, Justice, Law, and Criminology, American University; Associate Director, Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL)
Constanze Jeitler, Historian and PhD Researcher, PACT: Populism and Conspiracy Theory, University of Tübingen
Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Professor, American University School of Public Affairs and School of Education; Director, Polarization and Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL)

Moderator:
Elizabeth Hotary, Program Officer, Foreign & Security Policy and Society, Culture & Politics, AGI

This webinar is part of the AGI project “The Importance of the Transatlantic Partnership in Times of Global Crises” and is generously funded by the Transatlantik-Programm der Bundesrepublik Deutschland aus Mitteln des European Recovery Program (ERP) des Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWi) (Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany with Funds through the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economics and Energy (BMWi)).