As the Guilded age progressed, the disparity between the rich elites and the poor working class

made up of factory workers and farmers became wider and wider. The average citizens felt underrepresented during this time and found no help solving their problems from the two parties that made up American politics at this time. This frustration shared by a majority of citizens set the foundation for a third party that would fight for them. This party became known as the Populist Party. Despite having a large support base and revolutionary economical ideas the Populists never reached their full potential. One reason for this is the longstanding establishment of the Republicans and Democrats. Both parties at this time had been in power for a very long time and had sprouted deep roots that were intertwined into almost every aspect of industry and government. These parties were backed by the richest and most powerful people in the nation and were not making any revolutionary changes by just sticking with the status quo. In comes the new Populist Party with fresh ideas and a base made up of citizens with little affluence and influence besides their great numbers. At first it was difficult for the Populists to break onto the main stage of American politics, but after a while their following spread and grew. The Democrats saw the up and coming Populists and began to take notice. After some success by the Populist party in the elections of 1892 and 1894 the Democrats saw that they couldnt compete with an entrenched Republican party and a strong Populist party so they began to take up many of the Populists ideas as a means to take some of the Populists support and stop the exodus of their supporters to the Populist Party. As the 1896 election came about the Populists found a strong Democratic candidate in William Jennings Bryan who shared many of their political beliefs. Therefore, the Populists also nominated Bryan as their presidential candidate along with the Democrats. Unfortunately for the Populists Bryan lost the elections and the Populist Party faded into the shadow of the Democrats. Because the Populists threw in with the Democrats and their candidate eventually lost they werent able to capitalize on their up and coming momentum and they gained only small victories for civil service reform. However, because they made the Democrats take notice of them to such an extent that the Democrats took up many of their policies, which put these policies on the political main stage. I agree that aligning with the Democrats to an extent by also nominating Bryan led to their downfall. Because the Democrats took up some of the Populists ideas and policies, the Populist Party was no longer unique or the only option for the common workingman. With the loss to McKinley both the Democrats and the Populist lost. With the loss as you said the Populist Party became overshadowed and dissolved away. However it may not have been a bad decision to back the Democratic Bryan because if Bryan had won it may have given the Populists a great platform to spread their civil service reform ideas. The Populists were just unlucky because Bryan went against a very strong candidate in McKinley. It is interesting to think of what might have happened if Bryan would have won the election. It was definitely a disadvantage for the Populist Party to not have the type of monetary backing that the other established parties had. It would have been interesting to see what the Populists could have done if they Populists would have had similar financial backing as

the other parties. The conflict between the rich established parties and the popular Populist Party was a fight based on money vs mass support and in this case the side with the monetary backing was the victor. It was unfortunate for the working class that the Populists couldnt make a larger impact on the establishment. The Populists put in a great effort and got really close to controlling the White House, but some several key events, like the loss of the 1896 election kept them from having a large impact. You are definitely right though that even though the Populists didnt reach their potential or capture their dreams of civil service reform they did make an impact and shook up the political establishment. It would be interesting to see how different our country would be today if they Populists could have reached the White House and implemented some of their ideas and policies. It is interesting that you pointed out that the Populists never had any major victories but still were able to change some of the thinking by politicians and put the concerns of the average working class citizen into the political spotlight. I agree that the working class was being taken advantage of by the elites and the Populist Party seemed to be the answer. Although they did have small victories and some of their ideas and policies made it to fruition they did not reach their potential. The gap between the working class and the elites was still massive and its a shame that the Populist Party could not reach their potential and diminish this gap.