This article analyses the relationship between conspiracy theories, populism and foreign policy by shedding light on the affective force of conspiracy theories in mobilising ‘the people’. Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalysis, it conceptualises conspiracy theories as fantasies that promise to satisfy subjects’ desire for a complete identity by accusing ‘hidden’ forces of blocking this perceived-to-be-lost but ultimately unattainable sense of ontological wholeness. The article argues that conspiracy theories allow populists to appeal to voters through emotive narratives which offer a dualistic outlook on global politics and (1) blame the conspirators for such feelings of lack, (2) transgress the conventions of the mainstream discourse by appealing to the obscene, and (3) valorise the populist actor for uncovering the plot against popular sovereignty and thereby promising to make ‘the people’ whole again. While conspiracy theories have been studied in other disciplines, International Relations scholarship has paid very little attention to them and, if at all, discussed their role in the context of the United States. This article illustrates its arguments with the case of the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany and examines the role of conspiracy theories and foreign policy in its attempt to stage itself as ‘true’ representative of the German people.

本文通过阐明合谋理论在动员“人民”中的影响力，分析了合谋理论，民粹主义与外交政策之间的关系。借助拉康的心理分析，它把阴谋理论概念化为幻想，它们通过指责“隐藏”的力量阻止这种被感知到但最终无法实现的本体论整体性，来满足主体对完整身份的渴望。文章认为，共谋理论允许民粹主义者通过情感叙事来吸引选民，这些叙事提供了全球政治的二元论观点，并且（1）指责共谋者缺乏这种感觉，（2）通过诉诸于主流话语的惯例而违背了主流话语的惯例。猥亵，（3）赞扬民粹主义演员揭露了反对人民主权的阴谋，并因此承诺再次使“人民”整体化。虽然在其他学科中已经研究过阴谋论，但国际关系奖学金却很少关注它们，甚至根本没有讨论过它们在美国的作用。本文以右翼民粹党“德国替代方案”为例，阐述了其论点，并考察了阴谋理论和外交政策在试图使自己成为德国人民的“真正”代表的过程中的作用。讨论了它们在美国方面的作用。本文以右翼民粹党“德国替代方案”为例，阐述了其论点，并考察了阴谋理论和外交政策在试图使自己成为德国人民的“真正”代表的过程中的作用。讨论了它们在美国方面的作用。本文以右翼民粹党“德国替代方案”为例，阐述了其论点，并考察了阴谋理论和外交政策在试图使自己成为德国人民的“真正”代表的过程中的作用。