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: Congress
George Clooney does politics outdoors–and indoors
George Clooney was arrested this morning in Washington, DC, protesting outside Sudan’s embassy. They trespassed to call attention to President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir’s military blockade preventing food and humanitarian aid from getting to people on the border of Sudan and … Continue reading
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Tagged arrests, celebrities, Congress, Darfur, Enough Project, NAACP, police, publicitly, Sudan
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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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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
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Tagged Boehner, budget, Congress, credit, Republican, tea party
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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
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Tagged budget, Congress, demonstration, michele bachmann, tea party
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Investigating Religions: Congress, Muslims, and Terror
I’m deeply troubled by the hearings in the House of Representatives that opened today, “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response.” Initiated by Representative Peter King, a Republican from Long Island, it’s hard to … Continue reading
Gabrielle Giffords and Domestic Terror
It won’t take long for reporters to find out enough about Jared Loughner to offer portrayals of a severely disturbed young man. Reports at this moment detail Loughner attending a district event at a supermarket organized by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, … Continue reading
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Tagged Congress, Gabrielle Giffords, tea party, terrorism, violence
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The Constitution and Reading Aloud
My first grader is starting to get bored of reading aloud in class. Like most members of Congress, she can read faster than she can listen, and having to slow down as every reader stumbles through the words gets tiresome. … Continue reading
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Tagged Congress, Constitution, immigration, John Lewis, tea party
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Strong Tea
Rep. Michele Bachmann, founder of the Tea Party Caucus in the House of Representatives, promised that she would provide classes on the Constitution for her colleagues, particularly her newest colleagues. And there are plenty of them in the next Congress. … Continue reading
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Tagged Antonin Scalia, Congress, michele bachmann, Supreme Court, tea party, Virginia Thomas
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