Tea Party Can Thank the Sun for Success

Grassroots political movements such as the Tea Party are a mainstay of American society. But do they really make a difference?

According to one view, the Tea Party is a powerful new force re-shaping our politics. The alternative view is that it’s all signs and fury, a bunch of like-minded individuals who gather to cheer on their favorite political causes, but whose activities have no more effect on the outcome than sports fans getting together to watch their favorite team.