Author Archives: David S. Meyer

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About David S. Meyer

Author and professor of Sociology and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine

Democracy’s rapid response: defending immigrant rights in the Trump era

We live in extraordinary times, made so by the threat of tyranny, not of terrorism. When the Trump administration forced implementation of a new set of entry restrictions clearly targeted more at Muslims than terror, the responses were massive and … Continue reading

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March for Life 2017, with presidential support

If the annual March for Life (discussed here in the past) is able to generate anywhere near the turnout of the Women’s March last weekend, it will be an extraordinary achievement. Unlike many on the left, abortion opponents were able … Continue reading

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Protest in the Trump era, part 3 of ….: Loyalty?

Sometimes effective political action requires leaving a job you like; sometimes, it means finding a way to do that job properly. Most of the political protest we think of as protest looks at least a little like the Women’s March. … Continue reading

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Replaying the numbers game

Bizarrely, once he had assumed office, Donald Trump used his new platform to fight about reports of attendance and viewership at his inauguration. In real life, even much lower attendance would have little immediate effect on the fact that Trump … Continue reading

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Protest in the Trump era, part 2 of …..

Donald Trump has provoked plenty of protest in his day, a period that, alas, will continue for at least a while. I’ve been trying to figure out which causes and constituencies are likely to be able to generate sustained, diversified, … Continue reading

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Protest in the Trump era, part 1 of….

Donald Trump’s opponents didn’t wait for his election, much less his inauguration, to take to the streets.  As candidate and president-elect, Trump has been consistent in provoking organized protest. Over the past few days, activists have staged creative, disruptive, and … Continue reading

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Will the Women’s March matter?

Increasingly, the women’s march looks to sound the trumpet for a new surge in oppositional politics during the Trump era–however long it lasts. Counter-inaugural protests are nothing new, but this effort is getting more and better attention than any others … Continue reading

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Tangling with an icon: John Lewis and Donald Trump

At first glance, it seemed that Donald Trump had been foolish in going after Representative John Lewis, an authentic American hero. Through intense commitment, moral clarity, and physical courage, young John Lewis earned a place in American history long before … Continue reading

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Martin Luther King Day, 2017

(This is a repost of the MLKing Day holiday note.) Martin Luther King died young enough and dramatically enough to be turned into an American hero, but it was neither his youth nor his death that made him heroic. In … Continue reading

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The protest(s) sessions and what comes next

Unlike most of his would-be Cabinet mates, Attorney General-designate Jeff Sessions has filed his ethics and financial disclosure forms. When Senate committee hearings began this morning, his opponents were ready. Lisa Desjardins, from PBS Newshour, posted the welcome Senator Sessions … Continue reading

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