Amplify’d from www.collegenews.com
Unless you buried yourself underground for two years, you’ve heard of the tea party movement, especially since the November 2010 Midterm elections, when the movement rallied conservative voters to elect a majority of Republicans in the House. What is the tea party movement, really? You’ve heard it’s anti taxes and big government, just as you’ve probably heard it be called racist and extreme. We break down the contradictions.
Impact
Ultimately, Wood said the tea party movement could become absorbed by the Republican Party. Tea Party members could also literally take over the GOP by getting and keeping positions of power within the party, or transform into a true third party, whose candidates will officially run against the other two parties.
“I think the major impact of the tea party movement was to re-invigorate many people who had given up on politics. They got people involved at both the primary and general elections like no one has in a long time,” Dodge said. Time will tell what’s in store for the tea party movement and its influence on American politics. One thing is already certain: “It’s not going to just go away,” Berlet said.
