Saturday 29 October, 1.30pm until 3.00pm, Lecture Theatre 2
Ever since the Tea Party movement burst onto the scene in 2009, the debate has raged on about whether it is a grassroots protest movement in the proud tradition of American dissent, or a hysterical mob driven by fear, intolerance, racism, and selfishness. Originating in protest at the economic stimulus package and the weakness of the official Republican Party, the Tea Party (Taxed Enough Already) is not a party as such. It does not have a party structure or a coherent political program, but claims to be a grassroots movement of millions of like-minded Americans from all backgrounds and political parties. It claims to be the real defender of the American Dream and to share the core principles of the Founding Fathers, such as limited government and states’ rights, individual freedom and responsibility and free markets. Many credit the Tea Party with a key role in the Republicans’ winning control of the House of Representatives in the 2010 mid-term elections. More than 40 candidates supported by the Tea Party were elected to the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Others claim the rise of the Tea Party is more of a reflection of popular alienation from the elitist political establishment and with politicians of both parties. And some suggest the media’s preoccupation with the Tea Party reveals anxiety in the media and political elite about their detachment from ordinary people. Before the movement represented much of anything, many liberals drew attention to it, and warned of the dangerous consequences if it got close to power. Some argue their fear of the Tea Party’s rise became a self-fulfilling prophecy: shining the spotlight on the movement has given it the aura of being something new, different and capable of changing the American scene. So how significant is the Tea Party? Given the cynicism about partisan politics in the US and the disaffection with the traditional political parties, is it a positive thing that the Tea Party can claim no leaders and no strong ideology? If this is not a genuine opposition movement, what would one look like?
Listen to session audio:
Alan Miller chairman, Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) | |
Jeffrey Rosen professor of law, George Washington University; author, The Supreme Court: the personalities and rivalries that defined America | |
Mark Seddon writer and broadcaster; author, Standing for Something: life in the awkward squad | |
Cathy Young contributing editor, Reason magazine; author, Ceasefire! Why women and men must join forces to achieve true equality | |
Chair: | |
Jean Smith
specialist development consultant; co-founder and director, NY Salon |
I write this under surveillance, or so it’s safe to assume. We are all suspects now; we all read, write, talk on the phone and travel under surveillance, or the threat of it.
Wendy Kaminer, spiked, 8 September 2011Given how much sway the Tea Party has among Republicans in Congress and those seeking the Republican presidential nomination, one might think the Tea Party is redefining mainstream American politics.
David Campbell and Robert Putnam, New York Times, 17 August 2011The Tea Party has never let facts get in the way of its belief system, and now that belief system is genuinely threatening the wellbeing of the nation they claim to love.
Sarah Churchwell, Independent, 3 August 2011Tea Party madness has brought the US to the brink of economic mayhem, risking taking much of the world with it. In the face of obdurate unreason, the president of hyper-reasonableness was forced to surrender. The economic credibility of the country that holds the global reserve currency has wobbled. The political credibility of the world's beacon of democracy has failed in the face of an insurgency of unreason. Facts, evidence, probability, possibility – none of that matters to a movement founded on ferocious fantasy.
Polly Toynbee, Guardian, 1 August 2011As overtly conservative as the Republican Party has become in recent years, the tea party is pushing the GOP further to the right.
Michael Coen, Politico, 5 March 2011Liberal activists’ dismissal of the Tea Party as ‘insane’ only shows how cut-off they are from the American masses.
Sean Collings, spiked, 28 September 2010