Chapter 13 section 3: critical thinking

Q: What do you think were the most significant factors in bringing an end to the Populist Party?

· Monetary policy
· Third party status
· Source of popular support
· Popular participation

A: The fall of the Populist Party was almost as sudden as the rise of it. Many factors contributed to the party’s fall. One of these was due to the source of the voters. Most of the voters to the Populist Party were farmers. These men supported the parties view to print more money. However, they were the only people who thought this way so support was low for the party. (427)
Another contribution to the fall of the Populist Party was that it was known as a third party. The other two parties, Democrat and Republican, were much larger with much more support. The Populist Party was new to the political races, and the party could not keep up with its new supporters. Another thing that contributed to the fall of the party was the monetary policy. This policy tells about the passage and regulation of money. This is controlled by the government. The government would not go along with the party’s view to print more money. The Central Government knew that if they printed more money, the price of goods will sharply rise. This is only good for the farmers and the government also knows that it will throw the country into a depression. (429)