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

Money, mergers, and mobilization

Jarrett Barrios resigned as president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation this past weekend.  GLAAD had received $50,000 from AT&T, and then filed a letter supporting the phone giant’s merger with T-Mobile.  The appearance of impropriety (read: corruption) … Continue reading

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Politics as product placement

We now learn, thanks to a great piece by Kenneth P. Vogel and Lucy McCalmont (Politico), that political groups are not only buying ads, but product placement as well–at least on the right end of the political spectrum. The largest … Continue reading

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How the courts disappoint

American politics has provided some updates on our concerns about the courts and social movements (see: “You can’t count on the courts”).  Be sure that activists will be disappointed–and that they are extremely unlikely to give up. In Wisconsin, the … Continue reading

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A second cut on circumcision, politics, and rhetoric

Crusaders against circumcision (intactivists) face the same sorts of challenges as activists on a wide range of other causes.  They want parents to choose not to circumcise their sons AND they want the government to prohibit circumcision–and punish adults involved … Continue reading

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Anti-circumcision campaign cut short

Male circumcision dates back to a deal that Abraham made with God, as far as I know; most Jewish and Muslim parents still circumcise their sons to show that they’re keeping their end of the bargain.  Of course, in many … Continue reading

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Politics, Power, and Movements: Sidney Tarrow at Cornell

I’m honored to participate in a conference recognizing the work of Sid Tarrow, who has been a major force in developing the study of social movements in political science and sociology–and a major force in my development as a scholar. … Continue reading

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How Repression Works, American-style

Scott Crow (right), an anarchist who has organized anti-corporate and animal rights events, used the Freedom of Information Act to get his FBI file; he received 440 pages, with much of the material blacked out (NY Times report). Crow reports … Continue reading

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More on the Tepid TEA (Party)

Every time I log on to the world, there’s more evidence that the Tea Party movement’s moment is passing. We see the strength of American social movements in their organizations, their ideas, and their activities.  (We’ve covered much of this … Continue reading

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You Can’t Count on the Courts to ________ Social Change

“Scarcely any political question arises in the United States that is not resolved, sooner or later, into a judicial question.” This is a tag from Alexis de Tocqueville’s monumental Democracy in America, published well over 150 years ago. This is … Continue reading

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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

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