Whether or not you would consider yourself a supporter of taxes as a patriotic duty, the protesters against taxes and excessive government spending have sparked a national conversation and have also shown the strength of the American Constitution 200 plus years later.

First Amendment rights, particularly freedom of speech, are the fundamental concepts which made these protests possilble. Citizens conglomerated around towns across America, particularly Boston, where the American settlers dumped boxes of tea into the harbor as a result of high taxes from the British.

Conservatives, the bulk of the group protesting taxes, have proved that protesting is not concentrated among liberals or activists, but can constitute any American who finds themselves passionate about anything. Like the more left-leaning protesters of the past eight years, the anti-tax protesters are a determined opposition to the government.

When there is a certain party with uncontested power in Washington, the counter group will spark a national re-consideration of the agenda the government is pushing.
This serves the purpose of keeping citizens aware of what their government is doing and keeping them active in checking the government’s actions.

In this case, the majority of Americans still have favorable opinions of the actions of Barack Obama and his administration, but the small yet significant amount of enthusiastic, unashamed conservatives have stepped out in public to challenge the philosophies of Washington.

Protesting against the government, whether it be conservatives against liberals or vice versa, have the power to pit the government against an opposition and prevent it from pushing its agenda unopposed.
The protesters gave an added voice to the opposition party in Washington, enhancing the possibility of a more stable, centrist government.