Conspiracy narratives as political rhetoric

This thesis examines the ways in which conspiracy theories serve as political rhetoric when used by groups on the political or social margins of the public forum. The central question the thesis attempts to answer is this: How and why have conspiracy theories become such a popular mode of public discourse in the last two decades of American public life for groups that have often been the subject of conspiracy theories rather than their creators?;Much of the existing work on conspiracy theories and the psychology behind them has focused on how such theories have been used by those with political power to ostracize and stigmatize groups that were already marginalized. At the close of the 20th century, however, conspiracy theory has become a mode of discourse used by marginalized groups to give voice to their grievances in a way that garners public attention.;The thesis suggests that such narratives serve two basic purposes. First, they help forge a sense of common identity within the community that tells them. By portraying themselves as a "community under siege," such groups underscore their common condition (and, hence, identity). Second, the reinforced sense of identity allows such communities to call themselves to rhetorical battle with those they perceive as enemies. While militant versions of conspiracy narrative are told within the community, attenuated versions are produced that publicly accuse the community's enemies, win emotional and emotional support, and demand changes in the existing political and social status of the community.;The thesis examines three case studies in this process: the allegations of CIA complicity in the creation and distribution of crack cocaine, the accusations that the federal government created the HIV/AIDS virus (or allowed it to spread in the communities it hit the hardest), and the anti-government rhetoric of militant right wing groups that emerged from the sieges at Ruby Ridge and Waco, culminating in the destruction of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City.;The final chapter suggests a theoretical approach to conspiracy rhetoric that allows their use by marginalized groups to be both understood and evaluated ethically from the perspective of rhetorical scholarship.