Tea Party Movement

Bc. Tereza KŮRKOVÁ

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

Cílem práce je analyzovat přístup stoupenců Tea party Movementu k zahraniční politice USA a rozhodnout, zda se vývoj přikloní na stranu Palinitů či Paulitů. Palinité a Paulité jsou větve jacksoniánské tradice zahraniční politiky USA. Tradice zahraniční politiky USA podle Waltera Russella Meaa jsou čtyři - hamiltoniánská, jeffersonovská, wilsoniánská a jacksonovská. Pro doplnění jsou v práci definovány pojmy typu americká výjimečnost. Pro analýzu je vybráno pět Tea Party skupin a pět osobností, které jsou Tea Party Movementem podporovány. Pomocí přístupu k otázkám zahraniční politiky (např. rozsah armády, definice národního zájmu a jeho obrana, ochota zasahovat do zahraničních konfliktů...) jsou určeny názory, podle kteých se stoupenci Tea Party Movementu rozhodují. V práci je dosaženo závěru, že Palinité mají větší šanci prosadit se než Paulié díky důslednějšímu prosazování jacksoniánských zásad v prostředí mezinárodní politiky.

Abstract:

The aim of this dissertation is to analyse the attitude of the Tea Party Movement towards the foreign policy of the United States of America and to decide the direction of the development regarding the division into Palinites and Paulites. Palinites and Paulites are the branches of Jacksonian tradition of the foreign policy, defined from the theory articulated by Walter Russell Mead. Firstly, the four traditions of American foreign policy ? Hamiltonian, Jeffersonian, Wilsonian and Jacksonian are introduced. The concept was described in a book called Special Providence by W. R. Mead. For the later analysis? purposes, the attitudes of the above mentioned groups to several areas such as national interest definition, ideal type and size of the US army or support of military spending are described. The Jacksonian tradition is defined closely along with the explanation of its division into Palinites and Paulites. The terminology used by W. R. Mead (e.g. American exceptionality) is explained in order to allow the reader to fully understand Mead?s views on the Tea Party Movement. The brief history of the Tea Party Movement from 2009 to present is described. The main concerns of the Tea Party Movement cover the fiscal issues, expanding federal government, extensive spending and enhancing the American freedom. Five Tea Party groups and five politicians, who have ties to the Tea Party Movement, are introduced for better understanding of the movement. Consequently, their notions of the foreign policy are outlined. The outcome, that the Palinite branch aspires to overshadow the Paulites, is deduced by completing the politicians? notions and the values of the Tea Party Movement. As a result, the dissertation concludes that Palinites are more likely to progress further than Paulites, because their notion of foreign policy fits better into Jacksonian tradition?s rules.

Keywords

Tea Party Movement, Walter Russel Mead, Zahraniční politika USA

Language used: Czech

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 30. 4. 2012

Accessible from:: 31. 12. 2999

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: PhDr. Pavel Hlaváček, Ph.D.

University of West Bohemia

Faculty of Philosophy and Arts

Bachelor programme / field:
International Regional Studies / International Relations - British and American Studies