How Is the American “Tea Party” Able to Rise So Quickly?

If America’s good at anything, it is imposing more and more taxes. Without the help of a tax lawyer, the general public can find all the different taxes very difficult to understand. Furthermore, U.S. tax enforcement is relatively severe, with the tax authority’s methods of enforcement being very formidable. Ordinary Americans, if they provoke the tax authorities, will be in serious trouble.

America’s taxes are mostly the consequence of “government run social programs.” The Great Depression that took place between the two World Wars exposed the vulnerability of capitalism. The core of Roosevelt’s “New Deal” was “government run social programs,” which allowed the government to preside over more and more social affairs, and this idea led to the U.S. government expanding its power year after year.

Of the Democratic and Republican parties, the Republicans are against “big government.” President Reagan put a lot of effort into combating big government; however, due to voting pressure, the Republican Party actually tacitly allowed the government’s scale to gradually expand. Because “Returning to small government” means reducing welfare received by many Americans, this vote [to return to small government] is hard for the elites of American society to achieve.

But since the founding of the nation, the American collective consciousness has had a strong opposition to taxes.

In the past, if the queen of England had been a little smarter and had been less ruthless in the taxation of the American colonies, the American Revolutionary War could have been delayed many years.

To make a long story short, America is built on the basis of resistance to the British government and its heavy taxation. If the British government had been a little softer on the Northern American colonies, Washington and the other Founding Fathers of America would have found it hard to arouse anti-British sentiment. Because of the extreme ideas of the “tea party,” it will take a long time to marginalize these ideas with the American people.

But, since Obama came to be president and passed the “National Health Care Bill,” the “tea party” has arisen in protest.

According to media reports: “In an unambiguous demonstration of the muscle of the Tea Party movement, Dr. Rand Paul has defeated Secretary of State Trey Grayson in the Kentucky GOP Senate primary. … ” on May 18. This result shocked politicians in Washington; the tea partiers who oppose “big government” are now gaining momentum, and this could change the political situation when fall elections arrive.

Why Is the American “Tea Party” Able to Rise So Quickly?

First, the expense of the National Health Care Bill is astronomical, and must be paid by all taxpayers. Many Americans fear that the government’s budget will continue to increase and that the U.S. government’s debt will continue unprecedented expansion. This provides the American “tea party” with a basis for rising popularity in public opinion.

Second, the U.S. Republican Party has come to resemble the Democratic Party more and more. Originally, the Democratic Party engaged in fiscal expansion while the Republican Party tried to reduce taxes and the size of government. This constituted a dynamic equilibrium. Unexpectedly, the Republican Party gave, in order to please the voters, large tax breaks to the wealthy, allowing government expenditures to expand. In particular, during his time in office, George W. Bush passed several policies which led to a massive government budget deficit. Because of 9/11, the government’s power of authority, under Republican leadership, has grown more than ever before. This has caused “tea partiers” who stand for “small government” to lose confidence in the Republican Party.

Third, the Internet provides a platform for the grassroots-based “tea party.” However, Rand Paul says that his quick rise is not connected to the Internet-based tea party platform.

Can the Rise of the “Tea Party” Pose a Threat to the Republican and Democratic Parties?

This will be hard. First, the tea party is loosely organized. Second, the U.S. Republican and Democratic Parties must deal with an emerging party’s energy — no matter what new ideas are brought forth by the newly emerging party. U.S. Republicans and Democrats must both be able to welcome “Wikipedia” — the idea of absorbing new ideas into one’s own — which consequently hinders growth opportunities for small parties. As for the rise of the U.S. “tea party,” it will force the Republican Party to have some degree of reflection.