The Tea Party: Rage at the Failure of Capitalism

The first response to the great financial crisis and the failure of capitalism was the emergence of the Tea Party. Fueled by anger at the banks and the government's bailouts, the Tea Party used the language of capitalism to criticize those who got bailed out and to rally against a government that supported them. This movement, although supported by the billionaire Koch brothers, gained grassroots momentum and played a significant role in electing Donald Trump, ultimately shifting the Republican Party towards populism. However, the Tea Party's rhetoric also revealed underlying cultural resentments and a focus on conspiracy theories rather than purely economic concerns.