Over the past year, we have been hearing more and more about the “Tea Party Movement”. However, there have been a large amount of people questioning, “What is the Tea Party?”.

To better understand the Tea Party, one must understand what the ideas behind the Tea Party Movement are.

The movement began in 2009 and is a reference to the ‘Boston Tea Party’ of 1773. The 2009 version began when CNBC News editor Rick Santelli was critical of the U.S. Government’s plan to refinance mortgages. He said that the bailout program “promoted bad behavior” by “subsidizing losers’ mortgages”. He then suggested holding a tea party in Chicago to let government know how they feel.

The Tea Party, would include the Republican candidates that are looking to take office seats that are currently held by Democrats as well as those Republicans that currently hold seats in office. You can also be part of the Tea Party by just supporting their ideas. Not all Republicans can be considered as part of the Tea Party. They are usually conservatives that have very fundamentalist views, and are defined by what they oppose rather then what they support. If a candidate is considered to be part of the Tea Party Movement, than they are against runaway government spending, large deficits, the latest healthcare reform, and high taxation.

The Tea Party hopes to gain ground in the upcoming elections in November.