Much of the media coverage has followed the Tea Party movement's own narrative, which describes it as a grassroots
group of
libertarian - leaning and independent - minded
Americans who have grown disgusted with Washington - a
group not beholden to either party, willing to buck conventional politics to get things done.
Roger Bate was a think - tank staffer with an economics degree who has held a variety of positions in
libertarian lobby
groups including the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) and European Science & Environment Forum (ESEF) in the UK and the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) and
American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in the United States.