Three-Step Rhetorical Model of Conspiratorial Populism
Journal: Palgrave Studies in European Political Sociology
Year: 2024

Abstract This chapter delineates a threefold claim that nativist populists put forth in their support of the people. Initially, they tend to fabricate an external threat to the inner nation discursively. Subsequently, they levy accusations against a domestic elite, alleging treachery against the populace, often portraying them as colluding with external foes. Lastly, they cast themselves as the authentic guardians of the ‘pure people,’ pledging protection against both the elite and these malevol