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: tea party
Immigration divides the Tea Party
Or not? Conventional wisdom among Republican regulars was that the Party’s harsh “self-deportation” posture was costly in the last election. Party establishment figures pushed for quick action on immigration reform to put the issue behind them so that they might … Continue reading
Auditing the Tea Party: One style of American repression
Another example of the old joke: just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you: The revelation that the Internal Revenue Service targeted groups with “Tea Party” or “Patriot” in their names for strict scrutiny tells us … Continue reading
The Tea Party versus the Republican Party (again)
The Republican Party in Congress is riven between legislators who want to represent their politics clearly and consistently and others who want to govern. We often score the first group as acolytes of the Tea Party, but it’s a little … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Dick Armey, FreedomWorks, Jim DeMint, John Boehner, Matt Kibbe, self-interest, sell out, tea party
4 Comments
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
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged climate change, deficit, elections, influence, michele bachmann, Sandy, taxes, tea party
2 Comments
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
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 99 percent, democracy, elections, horizontal, influence, Occupy, Occupy Wall Street, organization, politics, tea party, Zuccotti Park
69 Comments
A day for labor
For Labor Day Weekend, here’s a reminder about the history of this commemoration in America (reposted from 2011). Successful politicians exploit, buy off, and sell out the movements that sometimes buoy their campaigns. This American story is an old one, … Continue reading
