UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO Conservative Politics in a Time of “Fake News” and Irrelevant Truths A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology by Ian Mullins Committee in Charge: Professor Isaac Martin, Chair Professor Richard Biernacki Professor Amy Binder Professor Robert Horwitz Professor Christena Turner 2018 Copyright Ian Mullins, 2018 All Rights Reserved The Dissertation of Ian Mullins is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Chair University of California, San Diego 2018 iii EPIGRAPH "Alas," said the mouse, "the whole world is growing smaller every day. At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, I kept running and running, and I was glad when I saw walls far away to the right and left, but these long walls have narrowed so quickly that I am in the last chamber already, and there in the corner stands the trap that I must run into." "You only need to change your direction," said the cat, and ate it up. Franz Kafka, A Little Fable iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page ............................................................................................................................... iii Epigraph ......................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ v List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... x Vita ............................................................................................................................................... xiv Abstract of the Dissertation .......................................................................................................... xv INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 Political Knowledge in the United States ........................................................................... 2 Cognition and Political Information ................................................................................... 8 Fieldsite Selection and Definition of Cases .......................................................... 12 Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 16 Data Reduction and Analysis ................................................................................ 20 Cases ................................................................................................................................. 22 Major Political Party Organizations: The Young Republicans............................. 23 Minor Political Party Organizations: The Libertarian Party ................................. 24 Fledgling Political Organization ........................................................................... 25 Outline............................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 1 Making the Modern Republican Party ......................................................................... 30 Political Parties in the Twenty-First Century.................................................................... 31 Party Renewal and Reform ............................................................................................... 34 Expanding the Party Network ........................................................................................... 36 Wonks Lose Control ......................................................................................................... 38 Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 42 Chapter 2 Liberty Among Friends ................................................................................................ 45 Military Honors ................................................................................................................. 46 Veteran Transitions ........................................................................................................... 48 Those in the Know ............................................................................................................ 55 v Different Wavelengths ...................................................................................................... 57 Developing Routines ......................................................................................................... 61 Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 63 Chapter 3 Encoding Opportunity Structures ................................................................................. 66 Formal Aspects of Political Organizations ....................................................................... 69 Affiliations and Obligations .................................................................................. 78 Relational Aspects of Political Organizations .................................................................. 82 Working Relationships.......................................................................................... 83 Coordination of Volunteers................................................................................... 87 An Explanation of Working Relationships ........................................................... 92 The Question of Sequence .................................................................................. 102 Success Stories .................................................................................................... 103 Opportunity Structures in Political Party Organizations ................................................ 107 Comparison to Orange County ....................................................................................... 109 Chapter 4 Shared Projects ........................................................................................................... 114 SDLP as a Vanity Project ............................................................................................... 117 A Party of Their Own ......................................................................................... 118 Strong-Willed Individuals ................................................................................... 120 Herding Cats ....................................................................................................... 123 NRC as a Friendship Project ........................................................................................... 125 Disruptive Friends and Extreme Statements ....................................................... 125 Online Reputations.............................................................................................. 130 SDYR as a Professional Project ...................................................................................... 132 Discussion ....................................................................................................................... 134 Chapter 5 Epistemic Practices .................................................................................................... 136 Two Concepts of Knowledge and an Alternative ........................................................... 136 Natural Rights Coalition ................................................................................................. 141 The Pang of Silver .............................................................................................. 142 Skepticism and Sandy Hook ............................................................................... 143 Streaks Across the Sky........................................................................................ 146 San Diego Libertarian Party............................................................................................ 153 vi Victory Gardens .................................................................................................. 155 San Diego Young Republicans ....................................................................................... 160 Disucssion ....................................................................................................................... 163 Presenting Information........................................................................................ 167 Validating Speakers and their Sources ............................................................... 169 Good, Bad, and Useless Information .................................................................. 172 Chapter 6 Incommensurate Practices and Fragmentation ........................................................... 174 Libertarian Outreach ....................................................................................................... 176 A Republican Among Anarchists 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