Final answer:
The Populists successfully highlighted economic and worker's issues but faced obstacles like racial tensions. Though the party dissolved, their ideas influence politics today. The Progressives achieved lasting reforms in labor, consumer safety, and economic regulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Successes and Challenges of Populism and the Progressive Era
The Populist movement, while it eventually dissipated, had notable successes in spotlighting issues of economic inequality and workers' plight. They propelled ideas such as direct democracy and economic reform, many of which would be adopted by the Republicans and Democrats in the Progressive Era. However, the Populists faced significant obstacles such as racial tensions and the difficulty of uniting urban and rural workers. The Progressives secured more enduring successes: they achieved legislative and constitutional reforms including the Sherman and Clayton Acts, Meat Inspection Act, Pure Food and Drug Act, and the establishment of the Federal Reserve. Their agenda went national and laid the groundwork for modern national policies on labor, consumer safety, and economic regulation.
While the Populists struggled with internal unity and external pressure, their impact on American political culture was profound. Their plight and eventual absorption by the main political parties exemplify the challenges of third-party movements in the US political system. In contrast, the Progressives, capitalizing on the work of muckrakers and a broad coalition of reformers, succeeded in enacting significant reforms at various levels of government.