The Tea Party : a brief history

The Tea Party A brief history

Ronald P. Formisano, 1939-

Book - 2012

"The Tea Party burst on the national political scene in 2009-2010, powered by right-wing grassroots passion and Astroturf big money. Its effect on electoral politics and the political process is undeniable, but the message, aims, and staying power of the loosely organized groups seem less clear. In this concise book, American political historian Ronald P. Formisano probes the remarkable rise of the Tea Party movement during a time of economic crisis and cultural change and examines its powerful impact on American politics. A confederation of intersecting and overlapping organizations, with a strong connection to the Christian fundamentalist Right, the phenomenon could easily be called the Tea Parties. The American media's fascinat...ion with the Tea Party--and the tendency of political leaders who have embraced the movement to say and do outlandish things--not only has fueled the fire driving the movement, but has diverted attention from its roots, agenda, and the enormous influence it holds over the Republican Party and the American political agenda. Looking at the Tea Party's claims to historical precedent and patriotic values, Formisano locates its anti-state and libertarian impulses deep in American political culture as well as in voter frustrations that have boiled over in recent decades. He sorts through the disparate goals the movement's different factions espouse and shows that, ultimately, the contradictions of Tea Party libertarianism reflect those ingrained in the broad mass of the electorate. Throughout American history, third parties, pressure groups, and social movements have emerged to demand reforms or radical change, only to eventually fade away, even if parts of their programs often are later adopted. The Tea Party's impact as a pressure group has been more immediate. Whether the Tea Party endures remains to be seen. Formisano's brief history certainly gives us clues."--Publisher description.

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Subjects
Tea Party movement.
Conservatism.
Government spending policy.
Political parties > 21st century.
Religious right.
Christianity and politics > 21st century.
Religion and politics.
United States > Economic policy > 2009-
United States > Politics and government > 2009-
Published
Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press 2012.
Language
English
Main Author
Ronald P. Formisano, 1939- (-)
Physical Description
viii, 143 p. ; 21 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-137) and index.
ISBN
9781421405964
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction
  • 1. Reading Tea Leaves
  • Astroturf or Grassroots Populism?
  • Parties, Anti-Parties, and Populism
  • 2. The Rise of the Tea Party
  • The Search for the Rosa Parks Moment
  • Media and Money
  • 3. Political Payoff in the 2010 Midterm Elections
  • Tea Party Ascendant
  • Evangelicals and the Tea Party
  • 4. The Tea Party and the Religious Right
  • Constitutional and Biblical Fundamentalism
  • The Christian Right and Machismo
  • 5. The Tea Party and Big Business
  • Libertarian Fundamentalism versus Christian Fundamentalism
  • Developing Strains in the Alliance
  • 6. Frustration with Politics as Usual
  • Immediate Precursors of Tea Party Rebellion
  • Libertarianism with Benefits
  • 7. The Tea Party and American Political Culture
  • Predictions and Assessments
  • The Roots of the Tea Party's Grassroots
  • Postscript The First Tea Party
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Choice Review

Formisano (Univ. of Kentucky) provides a succinct but enlightening history of the Tea Party in the US. The book is organized chronologically and focuses on the emergence of Tea Party activism, the effect the Tea Party had on the 2010 midterm elections, the relationships Tea Party activists have with the religious Right and big business, and a discussion of similar movements and predictions regarding the Tea Party's staying power. This book serves to debunk some of the misinformation associated with the Tea Party movement. For example, there is not one Tea Party; there are many. Formisano points out that the Tea Party movement is often at odds with the goals of big business, even though big business has been a financial contributor. Although Tea Party activists generally share conservative social values with the religious Right, they are not necessarily the same and should not be viewed as such. In general, this book provides readers with a concise history of the Tea Party. It could be useful to US history students and students of political parties or social movements. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. M. Wade Northwest Missouri State University

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review

Some 40 to 45 percent of Republican primary voters are Tea Party members seeking to direct the course of this year's presidential election. Yet the group that has been at the center of politics since 2009 is still not clearly defined in terms of objectives and message. Is it more concerned about shrinking the government or prodding the nation toward more conservative social values? The Tea Party has clearly pushed the political agendas of both major parties to the right, but will it have an enduring effect on American politics? Formisano offers a historical perspective, comparing the Tea Party to similar populist movements, both progressive and reactionary, of the past, from the original Boston Tea Party to the People's Party of the 1890s, from the Progressive Party of the 1920s to the Dixiecrats of the 1940s and, more recently, the parties of George Wallace and Ross Perot. He examines the conditions that gave birth to the Tea Party and whether it is genuinely grassroots or directed by corporate interests and billionaires. A helpful primer on a movement that is changing the American political landscape.--Bush, Vanessa Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Though perhaps premature, University of Kentucky history professor Formisano merits attention for providing even-handed perspective on and clarifying misconceptions about America's recent political phenomenon. The group's roots, as Formisano suggests, can be found in protest movements dating back to the Whiskey Rebellion, and parallels third parties as recent as those of George Wallace and Ross Perot. Formisano (For the People: American Populist Movements from the Revolution to the 1850s) makes valuable clarifications: the Tea Party and the religious right are not synonymous, and there are factional disputes within. While the billionaire Koch brothers are among the group's wealthy advocates, Formisano convincingly argues that "the enterprises of many global corporations based in the United States clearly are in implicit conflict with Tea Party positions." He notes that the group's relations with the mainstream Republican Party are prickly, with about half holding an unfavorable view of the conservative establishment. However, party supporters are not isolated zealots, and may, like other Americans, only want to gain control over their destinies. His most trenchant observation might have emerged from a Pirandello play: "Its partisans and critics alike, as if reading tea leaves, often see in it what they wish to see." (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

One of the biggest questions regarding the Tea Party is its authenticity-is it a real, honest-to-goodness grassroots movement or an "Astroturf" one, with conservative elites pulling the strings? This question takes center stage here. In contrast to Foley's philosophical approach (see above), Formisano (William T. Bryan Chair of American History, Univ. of Kentucky; For the People: American Populist Movements from the Revolution to the 1850s) focuses on the Tea Party movement as a historical and sociological phenomenon, discussing its intellectual underpinnings only when they are pertinent to his larger discussion. He compares the Tea Party to related events in recent American history, e.g., Ross Perot's candidacies for president in 1992 and 1996, finding parallels and contradictions that may help predict the Tea Party's ultimate impact. VERDICT Written in a brisk, journalistic fashion, this informative book is an excellent snapshot of the Tea Party as it seeks to make further inroads in the political arena. Despite its decidedly left-wing point of view, it raises questions that informed voters from all parts of the political spectrum ought to consider as the election season ramps up.-Brett Rohlwing, Washington Park Branch, Milwaukee P.L., WI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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