ABSTRACT
President Obama inherited the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. For the most part, those who believe that Obama is not an American and is a Muslim are critical of his policies and align themselves with the Republican Party. However, the dynamics of party politics have been rocked in recent years by the rise of the so-called Tea Party movement. Opinion is divided as to whether the Tea Party movement represents a new force in American politics or rather a re-energised but familiar conservative grouping. If ordinary Americans are vexed about illegal immigration, elites speculate anxiously about the rising rivals to American economic power. Moreover, some ask whether Chinas growing economic power will one day be translated into military power and thus undermine the United States position as the world's lone superpower. It will be the battleground of politics in the USA for the foreseeable future.
