The Secret Origins of 'Conspiracy Theory'
A new book shows how a phrase made its way from the crime pages to our political arguments—and picked up a passel of meanings along the way.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Conspiracy Theories The Secret Origins of 'Conspiracy Theory' A new book shows how a phrase made its way from the crime pages to our political arguments—and picked up a passel of meanings along the way. Jesse Walker | 6.23.2026 8:00 AM Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google Media Contact & Reprint Requests <img src="https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/c800x450-w800-q80/uploads/2026/06/hidhistorycover-800x450.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto" width="1200" height="675" title="The cover of 'The Hidden History of Conspiracy Theory'" alt="The cover of 'The Hidden History of Conspiracy Theory' | Princeton University Press/Carl Oglesby Papers" /> (Princeton University Press/Carl Oglesby…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Reason.com.