QAnon: How a Conspiracy Theory can Impact a Country

Abstract

Abstract Background: Since 2017, QAnon has been a prominent conspiracy theory among majority white, evangelical, conservatives. The driving narrative behind QAnon is that our government is deeply corrupt and run by an evil Cabal, and this network of elites place puppet leaders in power to distract from what's going on behind the scenes that includes child trafficking and abuse and Satanic rituals. Some who follow QAnon take the call to fight for their country literally, with acts ranging from domestic terrorism, murder, and sedition. Objective: The aim of this study is to identify the ways in which the United States has been impacted by the existence of QAnon. Design and Method: The method of research is based on timely scholarly and popular literature, as well as the use of podcasts and literature from within QAnon. These sources address topics such as the appeal of QAnon amongst evangelicals and conservatives, how conspiracy theories operate, and the ways in which the QAnon movement inspires acts of violence. Journal articles, reports, popular news, and podcasts are reviewed and reported in the Results section to follow later. The questions this research aims to address are: How does QAnon work to appeal to a majority far-right, conservative, and evangelical base? In what ways does QAnon operate as a novel conspiracy theory? To what degree is QAnon responsible for inciting acts of domestic acts of violence and/or terror? Results: This study is significant because of how quickly QAnon has proliferated mainstream consciousness in the United States and attracting devotees through baseless evidence of widespread corruption by global elites. Infrastructual educational reform is needed in the long term to address the gap in scientific literacy and critical evaluation that is currently filled with unreliable and fake news exchanged online. Conclusions: At this moment, however, it is imperative for Republican lawmakers to denounce QAnon publicly and attempt to restore their constituents' faith in our governmental system. Furthermore, individuals must be critical of information they find online and take time to evaluate the validity of sources off which their knowledge is based and educating peers on how to do the same. Keywords: QAnon, conspiracy theory, fake news, domestic terror, scientific literacy, paranoid style theory, critical evaluation, social media