From Tea Party Patriotism to Economic Nationalism: How the Right Gave Up on Small Government

From Tea Party Patriotism to Economic Nationalism: How the Right Gave Up on Small Government

The cascading events of the 2008 global recession, and a bipartisan $700 billion bailout of US banks, sparked a cultural backlash known as the Tea Party movement. This grassroots affiliation then swelled in opposition to more large‑scale government intervention, most notably the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Two years later, the 2010 midterm elections proved a turning point: Republicans, branded as Tea Pa…