Conspiracy rhetoric: From pragmatism to fantasy in public discourse

Conspiracy charges, once almost exclusively the emblem of the radical right, have come to characterize mainstream political drama. Making extensive use of the Watergate scandal, this essay analyzes conspiracy discourse as a struggle between at least two contending parties over the definition of some aspects of social reality.

Notes

Mr. Goodnight is Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Northwestern University, and Mr. Poulakos is Instructor of Speech, Miami University. An earlier draft of this paper was presented at the Speech Communication Association convention, New York, 1980. The authors thank Thomas B. Farrell for his helpful suggestions.