David S. Meyer
I'm a professor of sociology and political science at the University of California, Irvine. I've been thinking, and writing about, protest politics for almost ever. This site offers comments on contemporary events, informed (I hope) by knowing something about history and about the academic study of social movements.
Monthly Archives: August 2011
Suppose they held a protest, and no one saw
A little follow-up on our last item about a few Republican members of the House returning to their districts and holding public events only for paying customers, uh, constituents. In addition to raising money, the members of Congress were trying … Continue reading
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Tagged Congress, media, michele bachmann, Paul Ryan, protest, town meeting
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Politics driven outdoors
Several Republican members of Congress have stopped holding open meetings or taking questions from constituents who don’t pay for the privilege, Politico reports. In addition to raising money, they are working to spare themselves embarrassment and to keep their opponents … Continue reading
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Tagged budget, Congress, Keli Carendar, Paul Ryan, Tea Party Patriots, town meetings
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Buffett moment, Buffett movement?
Billionaire Warren Buffett (at right, with ukulele), renowned for his investing acumen, claimed space on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times to call for higher taxes on the superwealthy, like him–and even less wealthy–everyone who earns more than … Continue reading
Protest, tolerance, and stability
Liberal democracies adopt some degree of tolerance for organized protest. Demonstrations of hundreds of thousands on the Washington Mall are permitted, protected, and scheduled. They take place routinely with no threat to the stability of the Republic. This was, as … Continue reading
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Tagged China, fasting, hunger strikes, India, Madison, protest, stability, tolerance
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When anger isn’t enough
(A little long for the blog, this is cross-posted from the Washington Post.) There’s something exciting, sometimes terrifying, about people taking to the streets to get what they want. In Cairo’s Tahrir Square, they gathered to demand the ouster of … Continue reading
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Tagged Americans for Prosperity, debt, elections, FreedomWorks, Madison, protest, unemployment, unions, Washington post
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What the Tea Party won; what it cost
As we discussed last week, professional politicians sell out movements. Speaker John Boehner has worked hard throughout the negotiations to play to the most committed elements of the Tea Party in the House of Representatives, advocating positions that he would … Continue reading
