Tea Party

The political evolution Rep. Renee Ellmers has undergone since 2010 could cost the North Carolina Republican her job in Tuesday's special GOP congressional primary.

At the end of this Congress, more than one-third of the historic Tea Party freshman class will be gone from the House. Many ran as outsiders in a year when voters were tired of political insiders.

Rep. John Boehner became the 53rd speaker of the House in 2011. His tenure has been marked by fierce confrontations with Democrats and sometimes his own party.

One economist argues, "We need noisy grassroots movements to deliver a shock to the political system."