American Populism
What impact has "populism" had on American politics? More importantly, what are the differences between populism and progressivism, and is American populism different from its European counterpart?
Who were and are the American populists? Donald Trump has often been called a populist. So has Andrew Jackson and George Wallace. The People's Party of 1892 formed the political arm of the 19th century populist movement. But people cannot often identify what constitutes American populism.
This class seeks to answer all of these questions by using tracing the origins of American populism from the colonial period through the present. John Taylor of Caroline, Tom Watson, and George Wallace are featured prominently in the class, and we discuss the historical significance of the movement and its leaders.
Your Instructor
Brion McClanahan holds a Ph.D in American History from the University of South Carolina. He is the author or co-author of six books, including the #1 Amazon best selling 9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America and How Alexander Hamilton Screwed Up America.