Tea Party, Libertarian, & Other Political Parties

In 2009, anxiety over a worldwide economic crisis and widespread anger at government combined to produce the Tea Party movement. Tea Party candidates soon won a number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Although most Tea Party candidates officially identified with the Republican Party, they would challenge both Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress to lower taxes and reduce the role of government in peoples' lives. Independent campaigns are nothing new in American history, although historically it has been difficult for a third-party candidate to challenge the two major parties. This book examines some of the most successful third parties in recent years, including the Patriot, Green, Libertarian, and Constitution parties, while also tracing the Tea Party movement's impact on the Republican Party.