The White Power Movement’s Populist Connection to the Tea Party Movement in the United States

There has been considerable discussion about the extent of racist ideology in the Tea Party Movement (TPM). Although we consider this to be an important issue, we focus on how the ideological framings of the White Power Movement (WPM) and the TPM are similar, especially in respect to right-wing populism. We examine particularly the producerism, scapegoating, and conspiracism of populism. We analyze our own WP data collected in the 1990s and early 2000s and compare it with the social science findings on the TPM. Although there are certain differences, there are significant similarities that provide support not only for a race frame but for other populist bridging frames between the two movements which we suggest increases the likelihood they interact and recruit each other.