In a new Upshot column that was published yesterday, I explore the relationship between domestic elite conflict and misperceptions using new survey data on Holocaust denial. Here’s how it begins:

Why do misperceptions become widespread? More often than not, they have been spread by elites seeking political advantage. Many of the most significant myths and false claims in American politics were popularized or promoted by elites like Sarah Palin and Michael Moore, for instance. The same logic often applies internationally.

Read the whole thing for more.