What Is Right Wing Populism?

The Populist Party is often referred to as the party of and for the people, and is labeled as such because it was, very candidly, founded by the common people, such as farmers and other laborers. While this party was in power, they had many ambitions and ideas that they sought to spread to others, and aspired to achieve. To understand the topic completely, one requires a general knowledge of the formation of the populist party, the elemental beliefs, goals and ideals, and how the downfall of the party came about, as this will aid in the understanding of the populist party’s want of free coinage of silver and how it would have helped debtors initially, but would have had a comprehensive and unfavorable effect on the American economy

BBC News, What next for Marine Le Pen’s National Front?, News Europe, cited 15 Apr 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17824436

The Populist Movement began in the late 1800s with the Farmer’s Alliance. The Farmer’s Alliance aimed to improve economic conditions, including low agricultural prices and loss of land as a consequence (Foner, 510). In the 1890s, the Farmer’s Alliance grew into the Populists or the People’s Party. The evolved party appealed to a larger audience, specifically the working or “producing” classes (Foner, 511). Two of the Populists’ main focuses were lower mortgage interest rates and the

At the end of the 19th century the United States were in a time called “The Gilded Age”, coined by Mark Twain; a time of mass immigration, Western settlement, and industrialization. Out of these times emerged a political party named the Populist party, later changed to the People’s party. This party stood for the working man, like farmers and factory laborers. Though this party meant well, it did not last long. Surviving until 1896, the Populist party eventually merged with the Democratic party. With this being said, the Populist party was a short lived dream and failure.

There was a widely accepted notion called populism that had led to an ‘us’ and ‘them’ concept,

The People’s Party , more widely known as the Populist Party or simply Populists was a short-lived political party of the late nineteenth century. The People’s Party was one of the many movements of Farmers’ Crusade of the ‘people’ of the time, and perhaps even one of the most important, as it inspired later movements and bills. However, the People’s Party would have never came to be without the support of movements and alliances prior to the party. (History book).

The New Right has significantly revised the relationship between conservatism and tradition, however. The New Right attempts to fuse economic libertarianism with state and social authoritarianism. As such, it is a blend of radical, reactionary and traditional features. Its radicalism is evident in its robust efforts to dismantle or ‘roll back’ interventionist government and liberal social values. This radicalism is clearest in relation to the liberal New Right, which draws on rational theories and abstract principles, and so dismisses tradition. New Right radicalism is nevertheless reactionary in that both the liberal and conservative New Right hark back to a 19th century ‘golden age’ of supposed economic prosperity and moral fortitude. However, the conservative New Right also makes an appeal to tradition, particularly through its emphasis on so-called ‘traditional values’.

During the time of the Progressive Era, the Populist Party made tremendous gains in the political and social aspect of American society. Discontent with the economic and political way the country was structured, the Populists sought to reform the government using a system of initiative and referendum. As a form of direct democracy, initiative and referendum was a way to give the power back to the people by utilizing local and state governments. The first part of the reform was the initiative, which is usually a petition signed by a number of voters to bring about a public vote and opinion on a certain amendment, both state and constitutional. This initiative eventually sets the path for the referendum, which is when the proposed law is enacted.

The 1891 founded peoples party became an alternative party to the democratic party and the northern republican party due to its support for the growth of the working-class Americans. Most of its demands were to exchange the gold money standards to silver money standard which limited money supply for the working-class Americans. The movement also demanded the direct election of the senators and taxation according to income basis. William Jennings Brayan a former Democrat ran as a Populist leader in the 1896 which ended in a failure. The federal public demand election of 1896 was won by the Republican Ted Roosevelt which marked the commence of the Populist party. The populist party legacy gave the working class of the Americans the treatments

With tension on the rise, American farmers continue to demand reforms to lift their burden of debt as well as greater representation in government. Recently, with the tremendous growth in industrialization of oil and steel, migrants have felt the difficulties associated with farming and continue to fall into arrears.

The party adopted a platform calling for the free coinage of silver along with the abolition of national banks. Another aspect of the Populist Party, is a graduated income tax, government ownership of all forms of transportation and communication, and the election of Senators by direct vote of the people. Civil service reform, a working day of eight hours, postal banks, pensions, and the reform of immigration regulations are just some of the other views and beliefs of populists.

Populism and Progressivism were responses to a growing industrial economy that resulted in disparities between rich and poor and increasing social and political conflict. The solutions of the Populists and Progressives were varied, however established from the same central ideas. Despite the differences between each group, both contributed to a change in state and society and the fundamental role of government in the lives of the people in the West. Through Populist origin and Progressive action, the role of the government became a socially conscious, active body working to ensure the rights of Western citizens. Both the Populists and the Progressives sought to reform the conflicts and ills that had arisen from the growth of industrialization and the changing Western landscape following reconstruction. Populism had the most significant impact on the political evolution of the West as it gave way to Progressivism, which implemented many policies and benefits

In 1892 in St Louis, Missouri The People’s Party, or more commonly known the Populist Party was formed. The main purpose of the Populist party was to represent the labor leaders, farmers, and reformers, which focused on bank regulation, graduated income tax, and government owned railroad. Bank regulation was enforced to limit things such as restrictions and requirements, which led to better money regulation with the formation of the party. With graduated income tax, there would not be as big of a difference between the rich and the poor. Because of this the poor would not be paying as much income tax as the rich, which would eventually equal things out. Among many other things, one main goal of the populist party was to form an alliance with

Nationalism has become one of the most powerful uniting-and occasionally separating-powers of the modern age. Throughout history, there were numerous countries that exemplified both sides of this classic European belief. However, as time has passed, this pride and promotion of one’s country has developed far beyond the scope of Europe. Nationalist feelings fester in all parts of the globe now, and with that comes more complicated expressions of the sentiment, as well as carefully crafted governments that exist for the sole support of nationalist fervor.

The political and social conditions of Europe before the onset of the World War I were extremely unstable and undergoing a rapid transition that was driven by national interests of different nations living in the region. Nationalism was endorsed to promote patriotism among masses and to achieve political objectives that were in alignment with the national or political interests of countries. As the time passed, the growing influence of imperialism and the ideology of nationalism manifested multifaceted