Tea Party Movement’s Economic Ideas

US Tea Party movement – beliefs and ideals

The purpose of the post is to clarify the ideas and values of the tea party movement in America today.  What is the tea party about? I recommend you do not read random websites, or media converge as most of these are fairly bias. They are cluttered with confusing economic ideas or are free for all pages like Wikipedia. The following is what the tea party movement ideas are and are not. It is in simple clear terms.

What the Tea Party beliefs are

The tea party movement is a movement that calls for a smaller more responsible government.

  • Reduce government spending. – Ask the question, does this part of government exist just because it always has?
  • Balanced budget amendment – What is so wrong with the government being responsible, you have to balance your accounts why should they not have to?
  • Reduce the burden of taxes for all, progressive taxation is fine, it is just a general reduction in taxation and an even greater reduction in spending. Put the power back in the hands of the people. You could even eliminate the income tax and replace it with a tax on consumption. America had no Federal income tax the first 136 years of existence, it did pretty well in those years.
  • Simplify the tax code – Make it no longer than the US constitution. Easy to understand and easy to check.
  • Audits on government agencies – Do not assume anything. Do not just hope there is no waste in government.
  • Check the constitutionality of laws – Many laws are passed in backroom last-minute pork deals, does this mean they are fair or enhance the rights of the citizens of this nation?
  • Monetary responsibility – The fiscal responsibility part is clear, however, it might also include abolishing the Federal Reserve Bank, which after all was largely responsible for monetary irresponsibility that caused the financial crisis.
tea party
Tea party in Boston was about taxation and abuses of government. That is what the tea party movement is about today.

The above is what the tea party is about. Since it is a grass-roots movement and lacks traditional career politician leadership. Many people try to claim to be tea party leaders but have other agendas connected with the establishment. The movement is about being a political outsider and not an insider. One exception would be someone like Ron Paul, he is possibly a good embodiment of the conservative and libertarian ideas of the tea party.

What the Tea Party platform is not:

  • Pro military or establishment GOP politics. Some entrenched politicians try to ride the wave, by advocating traditional Republican stances like imperial military and claiming ties to the tea party movement. But the tea party is a movement about responsibility in government not established military government structures. You might be a tea party supporter and want a strong military or be like me, prefer a more effective smaller home army.
  • Pro-gun – Members may or may not be pro-gun, but it is a different idea.
  • Anti-Environment – I like the tea party ideas but I am also pro-environment. Two different political economy concepts.
  • Fringe – If far-right groups try to hook their wagon to the Tea party rising star, it is no more than common than extreme left groups with a radical agenda try to connect with Obama. Neither is appropriate and dishonor the core message of both.

People in the tea party may hold these views and others, but it is primarily a fiscal responsibility movement, largely consisting of women, housewives, and middle class working people who want a smaller more responsible government. Why? It is our children’s future that is at risk.

In contrast, Obama is a big government Keynesian and clearly is in opposition to the tea party, even belittling them as “tea baggers” because he has no intelligent way to address out of control government which our children will have to pay for.

Obama tea party
King George III represented big government, budget deficit, debt, and taxation like Obama does today.

More about the responsible government movement

The tea party is a movement of the common people, with strong economic ideals supporting it, such as the Austrian school of Economics and the US constitution.

The Tea Party candidates in the 2012 US presidential election are still being defined, but I would say Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Sarah Palin are a start. Dick Armey is also a leader in the movement.

A contract from America 2010 – This has many ideas of the anti-tax movement of the tea party. However, I do not like the ‘reject emissions trading’ line they stuck in there. Why did they have to throw that in there, it is not in line with simple fiscal responsibility?

If the tea party wants to continue to gain support and momentum from, protests than the wins in the 2010 election it needs to keep its message clear and simple. That is a smaller more responsible government with clear objectives like the balanced budget amendment. Do not mix it with other ideas or it will be watered down.

Why I support the Tea Party libertarian ideas

For example, I personally know government workers. They go to work and cut out early on Fridays. Get great benefits and have a soft life. I know for a fact they could not function in the private sector in the same way. They are overpaid and have cushy jobs.  I question their value to anyone.

In contrast, I know that I get up at the crack of dawn and work hard for my money. I try innovative things, use my imagination and creativity and take entrepreneurial risks. I think about how I can serve people. My friends in the government sector just go to work and collect a paycheck. You have to support these guys with your toil. It is unfair.

The government spends out of control why I have to cut back for my family.

Some other ideas connected to the tea party

Here is one example of a tea party website:

First American revolution was started with the tea party here is the first American flag
First American flag in Somerville, MA. Study this picture. Really think about it. America was founded on rugged individualism and freedom from government burdens, not a social welfare state. This is what the second American revolution (peaceful) of the tea party movement is about, freedom from excess government.

Why America was founded

The founding fathers set up the United States as a place where the government’s responsibility was to protect the freedoms of individuals. That is it. It was not to be the next socialist republic or the welfare state.

These were the ideals behind the original Tea Party patriots in Boston in 1773 (where I am from).

If you want to know more about the ideals of the Tea Party movement read about the ideals of the founding fathers. And of course, subscribe to this blog and comment often.

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Comments

One response to “Tea Party Movement’s Economic Ideas”

  1. Fred Webber

    Can the grass roots pass a constitutional amendment establishing term limits for Congress.. I am tired of the “old guard” not doing what they promised to do and would prefer replacing them with folks that will take the job for the job and not the power..

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