The QAnon Party? It’s Not a Conspiracy Theory
Conspiracy movements usually end up entering the halls of power. And then they get absorbed.
In American history, conspiracy theory-making has a way of turning into policymaking.
Photographer: Antonistock/iStockphoto
It’s tempting to view QAnon’s rise as a threat to America’s democracy — especially with a believer poised to win a seat in the House of Representatives. But history suggests that conspiracy-based movements have been a part of the U.S. democracy since the nation’s founding.
Long before the modern Republican and Democratic parties held sway, a succession of others rose and fell. In between, smaller fringe movements surged, often embracing some pretty bizarre conspiracies. Eventually, though, the QAnons of the past didn’t take over mainstream parties. Rather, their entry into the halls of power led to their absorption — or, alternatively, excommunication — by more mainstream parties.