The Tea Party Movement and Its Impact on American Politics

The end of the year 2007, during the presidential campaign of Republican congressman Ron Paul, was the first time when the modern Tea Party movement appeared on American political scene. In a short period of time the Tea Party became a significant political force that endorsed many successful candidates in 2010 midterm elections and put pressure on established political parties to follow the will of the people. This thesis, written primarily as a political affairs analysis, examines origins of this grassroots movement and its impact on American politics. Put in a broader historical and socio-economic context, this work tries to create a notion of movement's probable future. The thesis is divided into three major parts. First chapter provides an insight into the historical origins of the modern Tea Party movement and also the birth of populism in the United States. The following part looks into the formation of Tea Party and describes the most important organizations connected with the movement and how they influenced its activities. The third part is focused on the most relevant Tea Party protests and in form of a case study assesses its influence on 2010 midterm elections