Tea Party faces its ultimate test in 2016

In 2010, the young movement known as the Tea Party began to sweep a new generation of leaders into power. Six years later, the movement will face the ultimate test of its longevity – whether it can shake up presidential politics and put one of its own in the White House.

Though the 2012 election was technically the first presidential cycle after the emergence of the Tea Party, that wasn’t really a fair test of the movement’s influence. Typically, even in today’s accelerated political climate, a fair bit of time has to elapse between when politicians get elected to their first major office and when they can mount serious presidential campaigns.