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: elections
Occupy is an unprotected trademark
Sarah Maslin Nir produced a nice piece in the New York Times that identified–and poked at–the ever-increasing diversity of people and groups claiming to be Occupy. After Hurricane Superstorm Sandy hit New York, Occupy activists focused their efforts on helping … Continue reading
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Tagged elections, New York, Occupy, foreclosure, Occupy Sandy, NRA, student debt, Keystone
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Tracing the progress of same sex marriage
Molly Ball’s excellent article in The Atlantic traces the development of the ongoing campaign for marriage equality. Ball notes that 2012 was a watershed for the gay rights movement; after losing in state referenda 31 times, advocates of gay marriage … Continue reading
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Tagged elections, Evan Wolfson, Freedom to Marry, Molly Ball, referenda, same sex marriage, Supreme Court
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The Tea Party and the 2012 elections: part III
Tea Party groups supported Republican nominee Mitt Romney and many Congressional candidates. They lost the presidency. They made no new gains in Congress; some Tea Partiers lost their seats, and some–like Minnesota’s Michele Bachmann, barely held on. It wasn’t a … Continue reading
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Tagged climate change, deficit, elections, influence, michele bachmann, Sandy, taxes, tea party
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Is Occupy one?
I mean: is Occupy now one year old? Is it still around? Is it unified? A year ago on September 17, the Occupation of Zuccotti Park began, with a beautiful poster and far less participation and promise than it soon … Continue reading
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Tagged 99 percent, democracy, elections, horizontal, influence, Occupy, Occupy Wall Street, organization, politics, tea party, Zuccotti Park
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Chicago teachers, commitment and numbers
Thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of people rallied to support the Chicago Teachers Union, as its representatives moved closer to a negotiated agreement with the city that would bring them back to work–and send 350,000 students back to school. Mayor … Continue reading
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Tagged bystanders, Chicago, commitment, education, elections, intensity, labor, Rahm Emanuel, teachers, Wisconsin
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Clint, Eva, and partisan celebrities
A counterpart to Clint Eastwood, Eva Longoria will address the Democratic Convention tonight, prior to President Obama’s speech. Longoria has promised that there will be no empty chairs, and there’s every reason to believe that her remarks, like those of … Continue reading
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Tagged celebrities, Clint Eastwood, conventions, Democratic Party, elections, Eva Longoria, Republican Party
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