Are Tea Party supporters merely a group of conservative citizens
concerned about government spending? Or are they racists who refuse
to accept Barack Obama as their president because he's not white?
"Change They Can't Believe In" offers an alternative argument--that
the Tea Party is driven by the reemergence of a reactionary
movement in American politics that is fueled by a fear that America
has changed for the worse. Providing a range of original evidence
and rich portraits of party sympathizers as well as activists,
Christopher Parker and Matt Barreto show that what actually pushes
Tea Party supporters is not simple ideology or racism, but fear
that the country is being stolen from "real Americans"--a belief
triggered by Obama's election. From civil liberties and policy
issues, to participation in the political process, the perception
that America is in danger directly informs how Tea Party supporters
think and act.
The authors argue that this isn't the first time a segment of
American society has perceived the American way of life as under
siege. In fact, movements of this kind often appear when some
individuals believe that "American" values are under threat by
rapid social changes. Drawing connections between the Tea Party and
right-wing reactionary movements of the past, including the Know
Nothing Party, the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s, and the John Birch
Society, Parker and Barreto develop a framework that transcends the
Tea Party to shed light on its current and future consequences.
Linking past and present reactionary movements, "Change They
Can't Believe In" rigorously examines the motivations and political
implications associated with today's Tea Party.
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