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Cornwell 1
John Cornwell
Dr.Kivuva
ENG 202-026
2-23-2016
Populism: The People Vs. “The Man”
Money has a large influence over our political landscape in America. Money can
buy votes and power. It can influence just about anything in the book. It could be argued
that those with money are also the same as those with power. Along with the power comes
marginalization. Those who believe themselves to be at the bottom are also the ones that feel
they are left out of our political system; that their voice is unheard and falling on deaf ears. From
that breeds fear and fear breeds a voice, an often loud one at that.
Populism has always been a part of American politics. You could argue that the
Revolutionary War and following establishment of the United States of America was a populist,
grass-roots movement. During this time, a lot of farmers and laborers felt they were being
disenfranchised by politicians and the Government. The farmers had been working hard to grow
food for an ever expanding country and the laborers had been working in steel mills with
deplorable conditions and for very little pay. These members of society looked towards
politicians that promoted their blight and wanted to implement change to help them, even if it
was at the economic expense of others. In the late nineteenth century into the early twentieth
century, populism also had a large part in helping the working poor and creating a middle class in
America.
Franklin Roosevelt certainly spoke in populist tones, casting the American people as
vulnerable to “unscrupulous money changers” and his opponents as distant elites whose
“industrial dictatorship” had ushered in an “economic tyranny” that meant “men could no
longer follow the pursuit of happiness. (Olsen 13)
Cornwell 2
As noted; Franklin Roosevelt was definitely an establishment politician, however, he had a hand
in bringing about many social reforms and safety nets and had wide appeal with populists in the
United States and those that felt disenfranchised. This time period also gave rise to right-wing
populism. The rise of the FDR’s New Deal and the rapid expansion of the government (through
programs and regulations) and taxation started to marginalize these section of voters. The New
Deal was the largest and most encompassing expansion of Government in United States history.
Conservatives and Libertarians on the right saw this as an over encroachment and became
worried about how quickly the Government grew. Currently, populism on the right can be seen
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