• May 9, 2011

  • David Meyer, sociology professor, is featured in Roll Call May 9, 2011

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From Roll Call:
David Meyer, a sociology professor at the University of California, Irvine, who studies grass-roots movements, said the tea party faces a "common dilemma" for activists. "In order for a grass-roots movement to continue, you need paid staff in it - somebody who gets up in the morning and doesn't have to think about anything else than how well the tea party is going," he said. Movements on both ends of the political spectrum, from environmentalists to anti-abortion activists, have relied on professional staff to lobby lawmakers and keep grass-roots fervor up. "The obvious danger is that they can become more interested in keeping the organization going than in the cause," he added. "The people they are hiring are thinking about the movement for sure, but they are also thinking, 'This is my job.' They know if this movement goes belly up, they've got to do something else, which may be another job in Washington."

For the full story, please visit http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_118/Tea-Party-Turning-Pro-With-Paid-Jo....

 

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