The Populist Party National Platform (1892)
The Populist (People’s) Party identified a number of pressing national problems in the areas
of government power, finance, transportation, and land. They proposed specific solutions
to these problems in their 1892 party platform. Complete the chart below by identifying the
problem each plank of the Populist Party platform was intended to address. Write in clear
complete sentences.
Problems
Solutions (Planks)
1. the free and unlimited
coinage of silver and gold (at a
ratio of 16 to 1) and an increase
in the amount of money in
circulation (to at least $50 per
person)
2. a graduated income tax
3. rigid civil service regulation of
government employees
4. direct election of senators by
the voters (rather than by the
state legislators)
5. government farm loans at a
low interest rate and a subtreasury system of notes issued
on stored crops
6. government ownership of
railroads, telephones, and postal
services
7. land held by railroads,
corporations, and aliens to be
returned to actual settlers