What is the "Tea Party"? Is it important?
The Tea Party is one of the most significant citizen efforts in recent times to revive America's founding principles. It is a grassroots populist movement driven not by politicians but by ordinary American citizens who have become fed up with the excesses of modern government. The Tea Party movement has already had a tremendously significant effect on national politics. It has forced politicians of both parties to pay tribute (even if only superficially) to America's founding principles. In particular, it has galvanized many Republicans to make limited government a top policy priority and revitalized American conservatism.
Although the Tea Party has been dismissed by some as a fringe element of the Republican Party, the movement is, in fact, based on legitimate arguments. The Tea Party's core beliefs are grounded in the principles of limited self-government as a laid out by the Founding Fathers and are consistent with well-established conservative arguments.
For more on the Tea Party, see Matthew Spalding's WebMemo " Reclaiming America: Why We Honor the Tea Party Movement."
The Tea Party is one of the most significant citizen efforts in recent times to revive America's founding principles. It is a grassroots populist movement driven not by politicians but by ordinary American citizens who have become fed up with the excesses of modern government. The Tea Party movement has already had a tremendously significant effect on national politics. It has forced politicians of both parties to pay tribute (even if only superficially) to America's founding principles. In particular, it has galvanized many Republicans to make limited government a top policy priority and revitalized American conservatism.
Although the Tea Party has been dismissed by some as a fringe element of the Republican Party, the movement is, in fact, based on legitimate arguments. The Tea Party's core beliefs are grounded in the principles of limited self-government as a laid out by the Founding Fathers and are consistent with well-established conservative arguments.
For more on the Tea Party, see Matthew Spalding's WebMemo " Reclaiming America: Why We Honor the Tea Party Movement."