The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism

Abstract

Less than a month after Barack Obama's inauguration, activists seized the opportunity to crystallize a nationwide Tea Party that has shaken American politics. Professor Theda Skocpol will explain what Tea Party members believe, what they do, and how their activities are changing American politics based on her new book co-authored by Vanessa Williamson, The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism. Former State Representative Tom Emmer will also provide his insights into the creation, development, and future of the Tea Party in the United States. The conversation will be moderated by Professor Lawrence R. Jacobs. Theda Skocpol is the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University, where she served as Director of the Center for American Political Studies (1999 to 2006) and as Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (2005 to 2007). Skocpol is recognized as one of the most cited and widely influential scholars in the modern social sciences. Her work has contributed to the study of comparative politics, American politics, comparative and historical sociology, U.S. history, and the study of public policy. Skocpol's current research focuses on civic engagement, governmental transformation, and reform politics in the United States and on the development of U.S. social and educational policies in historical and comparative perspective. Tom Emmer was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2005 until 2011 for District 19B and served on a number of committees and subcommittees in the state legislature. He was the Republican gubernatorial candidate in the 2010 election. Emmer earned his B.A. in political science from the Univerisity of Alaska- Fairbanks and obtained his J.D. from William Mitchell College in 1988. He is currently hosting a radio show on KTLK-FM.