The Idea of “Conspiracy” in McCarthy-Era Politics January 5, 2021 1 min read Conspiracy theories constituted the political software of many cycles of American politics. By Dr. Richard M. FriedProfessor Emeritus of HistoryUniversity of Illinois at Chicago 122620-68-History-Red-Scare Originally published by Prologue (Spring 2002), the United States National Archives and Records Administration, to the public domain. About the Author Matthew McIntosh Administrator Visit Website View All Posts What do you feel about this? 0% Love 0% Funny 0% Wow 0% Sad 0% Angry Post navigation Previous: “Jitterbugs” and “Crack-pots”: Responses in 1938 to “War of the Worlds”Next: The Psychology of Fairness: Why Some Americans Don’t Believe Election Results Related Stories The Long History of Pneumonia: From Hippocrates to Modern Medicine November 17, 2025 Government Pandemic Response in the 19th Century: Communities and the Struggle for Public Health November 17, 2025 Saxon Obsequies: The Early Medieval Anglo-Saxon Archaeology of Richard Cornwallis Neville November 15, 2025