"Social Movements that Explicitly Defend the Interests of the Rich and the Almost-Rich Have Been a Recurring Feature of American Politics"

"With meticulous research, Martin shows how the modern Tea Party grew from decades of efforts by American oligarchs to de-tax themselves. They relied on cranks, rogues, and a few scholars to polish the most effective ideological marketing pitches. Their goal was selling the notion that if the rich bear less of the burden of government, all of us will somehow end up better off. These pitches have worked best when some newly proposed government initiative—like President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act—arrives to pose the threat of major policy change. They have depended on diverting attention from obvious questions, such as just how does a smaller tax bill for the Koch brothers benefit us?"

David Cay Johnston in The American Prospect reviews Isaac William Martin's Rich People’s Movements: Grassroots Campaigns to Untax the One Percent.