PublicEye.org - The Website of Political Research Associates

Infinite Menus Place Holder (Dreamweaver Design View)

Tea Parties, Right-Wing Populism, & Scapegoating

Tea Parties, Town Hall Protests, Glenn Beck posing as the Rev. Martin Luther
King, Jr.? What's going on here? Robert Reich explains:

Make no mistake: Angry right-wing populism lurks just below the surface of the terrible American economy, ready to be launched not only at Obama but also at liberals, intellectuals, gays, blacks, Jews, the mainstream media, coastal elites, crypto-socialists, and any other potential target of paranoid opportunity.

--Read the full essay

White Nationalism, Economic Fears, & Gender Anxiety:
Using Social Movement Theory with a Race, Gender, & Class Lens

Progressives need to understand the complex dynamics on the Political Right, from Palin Republicans, to Tea Parties and other right-wing populists, to armed citizens militias, to ultra-rightists and neonazis. It is up to progressive forces to engage in counter-recruitment that recognizes the real anger and fear of many middle-class and working-class White people, but redirects it toward constructive societal outcomes. This is not about attempting to recruit active leaders and activists already firmly involved in the Tea Party movement, but about challenging the Tea Partiers for the allegiance of millions of Americans angry at the status quo and justifiably fearful about their future.

How did the Tea Party Movement Emerge?

In 2009, the Tea Bag and Town Hall protestors, spawned as astroturf, morphed into a constellation of actual grassroots right-wing populist movements.

Election 2010 Editorial from PRA

Election 2010 Analysis from PRA

Useful Articles

Taking Tea Partiers Seriously.
Cover story in February Progressive magazine by Chip Berlet.

Background

Chip's paper for the UC Berkeley Seminar on the Tea Parties

For the full list of papers online click here
Video of entire panel on which Chip presented his paper
Audio from the conference - follow the link to iTunes and search for event audio

Tea Party Nationalism study by Burghart & Zeskind for NAACP

Take Action: Handouts

Significant Recent Critical Essays

Middle American Radicals Come of Age in Texas Attack by Eric Ward
Texas Suicide Flyer Had Real Populist Grievances by Rich Benjamin
Watch Out for GOP Populism by Thomas Frank
Is Obama Responsible for Wall Street's Meltdown? Where Populist Rage is Heading by Robert Reich

Chip Berlet's Series on the Tea Bag Movement & Right-Wing Populism

Video & Audio Resources

Democracy Now! - Militias, Right-Wing Populism, & White Nationalism
Terry Gross Fresh Air program: Toxic to Democracy - PRA study of conspiracy theories.
Democracy Now! - Tea Parties, Town Halls, & Healthcare
Wanted: Barack Obama Swiss TV Documentary (In French)

More Details About the Tea Parties

More Resources

What is Right-Wing Populism?
What is Producerism?
Where Does Right-Wing Populism Fit in the Political Scene? (slide show)
Who is Being Scapegoated?
Who is Being Recruited?
FAQ's
Multimedia Resources
Bibliography
Chip's Rants on Huffington Post

Take Action!

The anxieties of the Tea Partiers are not just about the economy, but also anger at dark-skinned immigrants, Muslims, gay marriage, abortion, and a liberal Black man in the White House. Progressives need to stand up and push back.