The New American Populism: Tea Party and Occupy in Ethnographic and Rhetorical Comparison

• In Event: 463 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 23. The Occupy Movement

Abstract

In this paper we argue that two major U.S. movements, Occupy and the Tea Party, share a common populist rhetorical style. First, the movements use populist rhetoric in expressing grievances about a collusive relationship between economic and political elites in the United States. Secondly, both movements attempt to legitimize themselves as acting on behalf of or as embodying “the people.” Our study provides support for the argument that populist rhetoric is highly resonant in times of economic uncertainty and weakened governance. Their populist rhetoric is indicative of a broader social trend, which we refer to as “The New American Populism.”

Authors

• Francis Bruce Prior, University of Pennsylvania

• Shantee Rosado, University of Pennsylvania