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.
Tag Archives: budget
Ronald Reagan sold out conservative movements
Successful politicians exploit, buy off, and sell out the movements that animate their campaigns. And Ronald Reagan was a successful politician. He came into the presidency as the embodiment of a conservative movement coalition, and left, dismissed by movement leaders … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged abortion, arms control, budget, conservative, Conservative Caucus, David Stockman, deficit, Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, sell out, taxes
1 Comment
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
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged budget, Congress, Keli Carendar, Paul Ryan, Tea Party Patriots, town meetings
Leave a comment
Will parents protest education cutbacks?: The organizational deficit
Sandy Banks, is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times and the parent of two daughters studying in the California State University system. She’s frustrated that it’s costing her so much more to help her kids out, and angry that … Continue reading
The Movement Veto and Medicare
When Democrat Kathy Hochshul won a normally Republican Congressional seat in special election in upstate New York, all of the party regulars weighed in with their distinctive spins on what this means or doesn’t mean for the elections coming up … Continue reading
Divining Authority (Religious Endorsements)
Many many many Christians, readers have pointed out, are not worried about the Rapture tomorrow–despite the confident predictions of some committed co-religionists. While some of the faithful have quit jobs to prepare–and to alert others of the coming judgment, other … Continue reading
Rapturous Provocation
People protest in opposition to something. When those opponents promise something particularly egregious, it’s easier to convince your supporters of a real threat and the necessity of taking to the streets. That’s why social movements activate their opponents. Every potential … Continue reading
Posted in countermovements
Tagged budget, countermovements, elections, Medicare, Newt Gingrich, Paul Ryan, religion, tea party
Leave a comment
Authenticity at the Town Hall Meetings?
Republican members of Congress who supported Paul Ryan’s budget plan (almost all of them) are having to defend their votes against hostile crowds at town meetings. (Note that there is a lot to get angry about in this budget plan. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged budget, FreedomWorks, health care, organization, protest, town hall, uninons
2 Comments
Can the Tea Party Party? (Notes on the Budget Agreement)
It certainly looked as though Speaker John Boehner did pretty well in negotiations about the past year’s budget. At the last minute, the Speaker, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and President Obama announced that they had come to an agreement … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Boehner, budget, Congress, credit, Republican, tea party
Leave a comment
Fasting against Hunger
Mark Bittman, who wrote the Minimalist food column at the New York Times for more than a decade, announced last week that he was taking minimalism a step further, by not eating altogether. Most of Bittman’s writing is about how … Continue reading
A Smaller Tea Party
Thursday’s Tea Party rally drew crowds described as “sparse,” with estimates clustering around 200 people. Slate‘s David Weigel says that there were four reporters for every demonstrator, and that other journalists were poaching his interviews, trying to find someone to … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged budget, Congress, demonstration, michele bachmann, tea party
Leave a comment
