ch.13 sct.3 C.T. #3

I think the most significant factors in bringing an end to the Populist Party were their policy on the monetary system and their third-party status (and quite obviously the election of McKinley, but that was an effect of these causes). If the Populist Party had their way and the monetary system was based on both silver and gold, money would lose a lot of value. I think a lot of people (not in the populist party) wouldn't like the fact that everyone would have money, but it would be worthless (kind of on p. 428), causing inflation, which most people didn't want. So people not in the Populist Party (people who were consumers, not farmers) wouldn't like their monetary policy, and the Populist Party wouldn't get much support. Also, the Populist Party was a "new" party, and it wasn't as big or firm as the Democratic or Republican parties. I think the fact that it (the party) was so undecided (they didn't know whether to join with the sympathetic major parties, or to nominate their own canidates: p. 428) kept it a small, "third-party-status" party. Although their main source of support came basically only from farmers, farmers made up a good portion of the country then, so I don't think that was one of the most significant factors in bringing an end to the Populist Party. I also don't think that their popular participation policy was a significant factor. I would think most people would be happy to have a bigger voice in electing U.S. senators and letting the majority choose (if the policy means what I think it does). I believe that the Populist Party's monetary policy and their third-party status were the most significant factors in bringing an end to the party.