RICH PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS

Martin (Sociology/Univ. of California, San Diego; The Permanent Tax Revolt: How the Property Tax Transformed American Politics, 2008, etc.) asks why the already powerful and influential wealthy in America would resort to outsider tactics of protests and petitions to further their economic interests and why those of lesser means would protest on their behalf.

The tea party movement, writes the author, is but “the newest expression of an old tradition,” a “peculiar mix of populist tactics and militant anti-egalitarian demands.” Since the 1913 ratification of the 16th Amendment—which allows for a federal tax on income—the rich and their allies have consistently fought to limit tax rates on the rich and even for the repeal of the amendment. This libertarian right turned to populist tactics when other strategies to meet such common policy challenges failed. But they had to be taught such tactics. In large part, Martin’s book is the story of these “experienced movement entrepreneurs” who developed and carried out grass-roots campaigns on behalf of the rich. Most such entrepreneurs had participated in or experienced the radical left movements of their times: James Asbury Arnold, the original organizer for the right, was a veteran of the agrarian protest of the early 20th century; Edward Aloysius Rumely, a later organizer, came from a similar radical background. Grover Norquist, today’s powerful anti-tax organizer, learned many of his tactics from the Angolan Marxist revolutionary Jonas Savimbi. The rich pursued such tactics because they worked, especially when sympathetic presidents were in power, be it Calvin Coolidge or George W. Bush. With the capture of the Republican Party by anti-tax zealots, writes Martin, more rich people’s movements, and widening inequality, can be expected. While at times lapsing into social science–speak (e.g., “logistic regression analysis”), Martin by and large tells his tale in an approachable manner.

An important contribution to understanding the contentious politics of today.