Various forms of populism have appeared throughout American history, including in our own time (think of the Tea Party movement, Donald Trump’s political base, or the 99% movement associated with Occupy Wall Street). Generally speaking, populism is an unorganized political phenomenon whereby ordinary people come togetherfrom the right or the left, or sometimes bothwho feel that established political forces (parties, elected officials, etc.) no longer serve their interests.
In 1880s and 1890s a populist movement emerged which had a considerable effect on American politics, manifesting in the formation of the Populist Party in 1892. What did the Populist Party stand for? What do you think we today can learn from the Populists of the 1890s?
