Why So Many Americans Believe in So Many “Crazy” Things

America is in civic turmoil, its public sphere awash in conspiracy theories, misinformation, and hyperpartisanship. Why is a country that is so well educated and prosperous confounded by so much irrational behavior? The answer lies in our intuitions, says Eric Oliver. In this lecture, he will explain that America is not simply divided by ideology, party, and race—it is divided by worldview. On one side are intuitionists, people who rely on their gut feelings to guide them; on the other side are rationalists, people who rely on logic and facts. This division animates the nation’s political landscape and explains why so much of American politics seems to defy common sense.