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One of the most important contributions of the Tea Party movement to American conservatism is arguably its subordination of partisan politics to the actual mechanics of public policy. But to succeed and remain relevant, the Tea Parties might have to do more than just subordinate party to policy. Their members will have to learn to separate personality from principle, and choose the latter over the former. Though its critics derided the Tea Parties as an "astroturf" movement cooked up by Fox New

Compared to the feeling in 2009, when enraged citizens swarmed to demonstrations in cities all across the country and showed up en masse to shout down their Congressmen during some town hall meetings, the Tea Party movement has seemed a little anemic lately. A new focus on outrage over the TSA, however, could put the wind right back in the Tea Party's sails. Back in 2009, the issue was an unprecedented consolidation of federal and executive power and a corresponding explosion in federal spendin

Late last year, we reported on the appeal of Schwarzenegger v. Plata to the Supreme Court where oral arguments were heard. In the lawsuit, a special panel of three federal judges ruled that California would have to address its rampant prison overcrowding by releasing tens of thousands of inmates, citing the appalling conditions of the state's crowded prison system as a violation of inmates' 8th Amendment right not to suffer "cruel and unusual punishments." On Monday, the high court issued a 5-4

From police actions, to court rulings, to the impending renewal of key provisions of the Patriot Act next week, the debate over the Fourth Amendment, its meaning, and its relevance could not be any more heated, nor could a frank national conversation about civil liberties be more urgent than right now. What does the Fourth Amendment say and what rights does it guarantee to all U.S. citizens? Is the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution under assault? How can we balance the interests of publi

A battle between the town of Isleton, California and federal prosecutors over medicinal marijuana cultivation perfectly illustrates the stakes involved in the Tenth Amendment debate. Earlier this month, a group planning to build an industrial medical marijuana farm in Isleton called the project off after receiving a stern warning from the feds that its construction would not be tolerated and could result in legal action. Despite past assurances from the Obama Administration-- including Attorney

Today, Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) will be unveiling the establishment GOP's ten-year plan to make $6 trillion in spending cuts. Critics are already calling the proposal "radical," but Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said last month that the Republicans' ten-year budget plan will actually do very little to meaningfully address the out-of-control spending in Washington. The Tea Party Senator from Kentucky says that the people he talks with across the country find current spending levels radical, and

Book review: The Tea Party Goes to Washington by Rand Paul with Jack Hunter In the early days of Rand Paul's campaign, back when it was just an exploratory committee, there was only Rand and his campaign spokesman-- a tall, well-mannered, southern man in his early thirties who would tell me how badly our country needed someone like Rand Paul in a position of political leadership. He donated his meager salary right back to Rand Paul's fledgling exploratory committee each month. Back then the Ke

"The revolution is alive and well." That's what The Politico reporter Andy Barr wrote this Tuesday in his article summarizing the extraordinary fundraising feat Congressman Ron Paul's supporters pulled off the day before, raising $730,000 online in just 24 hours for Paul's Liberty PAC. The single day fundraising effort- called a "money bomb" by the Internet activists who pioneered it- echoed the days of Ron Paul's presidential bid, during which followers raised a staggering $4.3 million in one d

On  Saturday, hundreds of Independents from across the country gathered in  New York City for the CUIP’s National Conference of Independents  entitled, “Can Independents Reform America?” The  conference was organized by the Committee for a Unified Independent  Party, which is perhaps better known by its online portal at IndependentVoting.org.   Founded in 1994 by independent community organizers and third party  activists, the organization now has local affiliates and chapters in  over thirty s

It appears as if a Tea Party foreign policy is starting to emerge. In 2009, a resurgent anti-tax/anti-bailout protest movement swept through cities across the United States, pulling together a broad coalition of conservative-minded activists dedicated to addressing Washington's budget crisis. Whatever their differences over foreign policy or social issues may have been, members of the Tea Party came together over their agreement on fiscal policy But, how would an emphasis on fiscal responsibili