QAnon Becomes the Conspiracy: The Politics of Conspiracy Theory in the United States

This presentation examines the presence and politics of conspiracy theory discourses in the United States. More generally, the talk identifies and analyzes the conditions of possibility for contemporary conspiracy theory discourses with a particular focus on the QAnon conspiracy theory. This talk investigates what conspiracy theories aim to express as well as evaluates how political elites aim to channel and govern them.

On Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 4 p.m. in the Reilley Room, Samuel Beckenhauer, Ph.D. will present “QAnon Becomes the Conspiracy: The Politics of Conspiracy Theory in the United States.” Beckenhauer’s research employs discourse analysis to examine the production, proliferation and governance of conspiracy theory discourses in the United States. He teaches courses in Integrative Professional Studies at SUNY Oswego and holds a Ph.D. with a concentration in political thought from the interdisciplinary Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT) doctoral program at Virginia Tech.

This talk is part of the Fall 2026 Social Science Seminar Series, sponsored by the social science departments: anthropology, criminology and sociology; economics; political science; and psychology.