Describe and evaluate the reasons for the rapid rise and fall of the Populist Party. What strengths and weaknesses were exhibited by the party?
What will be an ideal response?
The ideal answer should include:
1. The Populist Party was driven by real issues in the West and South, including falling crop prices and rising debt.
2. They also benefited from the fact that the Democratic and Republican Parties were not addressing these issues.
3. The drop in crop prices hurt farmers, which in turn caused some to push for reform of the money supply.
4. Populists were hurt by their inability to resolve the issue of race.
5. Populists also angered powerful interests who used violence to silence them, particularly in the South.
6. Populists agreed to nominate William Jennings Bryan, the same candidate as the Democrats, in the 1896 election; his failure doomed their overall movement.
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