Populism is a political philosophy that supports the rights of the masses and opposes the privileged upper class. Populists are typically liberal on economic and national security issues but conservative on social issues. The People’s Party of the United States was formed in the late 19th century to protect the working class from big business and create a level playing field. Populism has had no significant formal organization since the collapse of the Populist Party in 1896, but politicians from both major parties exhibit leanings towards this philosophy.
A populist is a person who adheres to the political philosophy of populism, which is conducive to upholding the rights of the masses and empowering the people in the struggle against the privileged upper class. The general philosophies of populism theoretically fall somewhere in the middle of the political spectrum, as opposed to left or right, but rarely will one hold the same beliefs as the other. Typically, this person is liberal on economic and national security issues, but conservative on social issues. Examining the populist movement in America from its inception to the present day will give a general understanding of the belief system.
Although some scholars argue that populism has been a common political phenomenon around the world dating back to the time of Spartacus, the beginning of the movement in America usually refers to the organizing of farmers and workers who disapproved of inequalities in America during the ‘”Age of the Guild”. of the end of the 19th century. From 1918 to 1865, the United States saw unprecedented economic and industrial growth and the eruption of an elite class of incredibly wealthy leaders of finance and industry. With the belief that the farmers and working-class citizens of the country created the nation’s wealth, they collectively united to create the People’s Party of the United States, also known as the Populist Party.
In order to protect the working class from big business, gain a voice in government, and create a level playing field for all Americans, the People’s Party platform included an expanded national currency, a graduated income tax, and government ownership of the streets. transport and communication lines. Party members were successful in winning a few congressional seats and a presidential candidate in the 1892 election, but were never able to present themselves as a viable third party in a dominant two-party system. This led to the party’s formal endorsement of the Democratic presidential candidate in the 1896 election.
Since the collapse of the Populist Party in 1896, there has actually been no significant formal organization. It was revived briefly, perhaps in its most severe form, in the 1980s when David Duke, a former leader of the Klu Klux Klan, ran for president on a white supremacist platform, exploiting native Protestant populists in the early aughts. In the 1990s, Texas business magnate Ross Perot ran for president with his self-financed campaign from the Reform Party, which was also arguably populist. A few smaller parties formed in the 2000s, but none with viable political candidates. Politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, continually exhibit leanings towards this political philosophy.
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