Looks at the movement in the context of a new theory on party formation.

1. The Tea Party in the Context of Group-Centric
Theory
By Zach Morrison
http://carolineheldman.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/tea-party-signs.jpg

3. What is Group-Centric Theory?
 Political Scientists Marty Cohen, David Karol, Hans Noel, and John Zaller
 Policy demanders at the center of parties
 Electoral blind spot
 More extreme politicians
 Tea Party as one policy demander

4. Created in R

5. So…
 The Tea Party can be considered a policy demanding group
 The Tea Party nominates extreme candidates that are unconcerned with the
average, non-extreme voter
 The Tea Party is a good example that supports the theory that policy
demanders are more paramount to parties than office-holders
 Parties are, in essence, “a means to an end, and the end is a group’s own
policy agenda”