New World Order Theory

Claim: A secretive global elite is working to replace sovereign nation-states with a single authoritarian world government, often linked to institutions like the UN, IMF, or World Economic Forum.

Origins: The phrase gained conspiratorial meaning in the early 20th century and was popularized in the U.S. by anti-globalist and Christian fundamentalist movements from the 1930s–1990s; President George H.W. Bush's 1990 use of "new world order" (referring to post-Cold War cooperation) was seized on as apparent confirmation.

Why it's false: International cooperation bodies operate transparently, publish records, and lack enforcement power over sovereign states, who routinely ignore or withdraw from their recommendations. The theory conflates ordinary diplomatic and economic coordination with secret coordinated takeover, without evidence of an actual unified plan or leadership structure.

Status: A durable umbrella narrative that recurs in various forms (Illuminati, globalist elites, "Great Reset") whenever international institutions are prominent in the news.