Robert Higgs on how crises heighten ideological expression on both sides

[I]deology becomes most prominent during social crisis.  When the existing order is widely perceived as working poorly, breaking down, or facing serious challenge from foreign or domestic enemies, the incentives for ideological expression are heightened on both sides.  On the one hand, supporters of the status quo find it imperative to articulate and disseminate their ideology to shore up threatened institutions.  On the other hand, crises provide excellent opportunities for ideological entrepreneurs to find a market for their wares among the growing ranks of the disaffected.

~ Robert Higgs, Crisis and Leviathan, p. 47