Editing Demagogue (section)

===Scapegoating===
The most fundamental demagogic technique is [[scapegoating]]: blaming the [[ingroups and outgroups|in-group's]] troubles on an out-group, usually of a different [[racism|ethnicity]], [[bigotry|religion]], or [[class conflict|social class]]. For example, McCarthy claimed that all of the problems of the U.S. resulted from "communist subversion." [[Denis Kearney]] blamed all the problems of laborers in California on Chinese immigrants.<ref name=Gustainis /> Hitler blamed [[Jews]] for Germany's defeat in [[World War I]] as well as the economic troubles that came afterward. This was central to his appeal: many people said that the only reason they liked Hitler was because he was against the Jews. Fixing blame on the Jews gave Hitler a way to intensify [[nationalism]] and unity.<ref name="Allport-scapegoat" />

The claims made about the scapegoated class are mostly the same regardless of the demagogue and regardless of the scapegoated class or the nature of the crisis that the demagogue is exploiting.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} "We" are the "true" {{Zwsp|Americans/|Germans/|Christians/etc.}}, and "they", the {{Zwsp|Jews/|bankers/|communists/|capitalists/|unions/|foreigners/|elites/|etc.}}, have cheated "us" plain folk and are living in decadent luxury off riches that rightfully belong to "us". "They" are plotting to take over, are now rapidly taking power, or are already secretly running the country. "They" are subhuman, sexual perverts who will seduce or rape "our" daughters, and if "we" do not expel or exterminate "them" right away, doom is just around the corner.<ref name="Allport-points" />