The Idea of “Conspiracy” in McCarthy-Era Politics January 5, 2021 1 minute 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: โJitterbugsโ and โCrack-potsโ: Responses in 1938 to “War of the Worlds”Next: The Psychology of Fairness: Why Some Americans Don’t Believe Election Results Related Stories Inflationary Backfire: Diocletianโs Price Edict and the Failure of Roman Economic Control April 6, 2026 Sumptuary Laws and Social Control: Why Medieval Luxury Bans Backfired April 6, 2026 How Books Shaped Civilizations: From Ancient Scrolls to Digital Libraries April 6, 2026