The biggest phenomenon in American politics throughout the past two years has been the growth of the Tea Party movement. Concerned citizens nationwide band together at rallies to express their dissatisfaction with out-of-control government spending and misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Last weekend, more than 3,000 people gathered at the Tea Party Patriots American Policy Summit in Phoenix to hear speakers ranging from Rep. Ron Paul to Gov. Tim Pawlenty and to take part in breakout sessions about activism.
The average Tea Party member is over 50, but a large number of students attended the Summit and the 1st National Tea Party Students Conference. The student conference was organized by Daniel Oliver, founder of Tea Party Students.
"It was exciting having the students learn from some of the top conservative groups in America on how to grow their organizations and utilize new media to effectively promote their Tea Party groups," said Oliver, who served as a Leadership Institute Field Representative in 2010.