CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2023
| Author | Mandler, Benjamin |
|---|---|
| Title | They Stole it from Us: A Study of U.S. Election Conspiracy Theory Discourse |
| Summary | This thesis aims to investigate why the election-related conspiracy theories which formed after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election were so successful in spreading and developing into a movement. As conspiracy beliefs are the product of collective reaction to real-world events and conditions this study looks at the contents of election denialism messages. This research uses Discourse-Historical Approach to analyze the conspiratorial texts used in Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast and several elections denialism Telegram group chats. The results find that election conspiracy theories are being used as a way for believers to attribute the results of U.S. elections to a powerful external force and not a popular rejection of their ideology. This addresses the fear of losing cultural hegemony for conservative Americans and helps them feel positive about their own identity. |
| Supervisor | Kovács, András |
| Department | Nationalism Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2023/mandler_benjamin.pdf |
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