Question

What was a factor in the failure of the Populist Party?

A. looking to the past rather than addressing the needs of an industrial economy

B. looking too far ahead and neglecting the needs of the present

C. pushing for a laissez-faire economy that had limited regulation of business

D. advocating a highly unpopular income tax

Answer 1

The correct answer is option B. "looking too far ahead and neglecting the needs of the present".

Step-by-step explanation:

There were several factors that led to the decline of the Populist Party, but it can be summarized with the sentence of looking too far ahead of their time and ignoring the needs of the present. For instance, the Populist Party had the progressive idea to have a direct election of the United States Senators, which was a reality later on in 1913 but the people was not ready in the 1890s when it was proposed. While the Populist Party was embracing these ideas, they ignored the needs of the farmers and the workers in the present, whose ideas of rising and lowering the prices of the food were contradictory.

Answer 2

The main factor in the failure of the Populist Party was its looking too far ahead and neglecting the needs of the present. The correct option among all the options that are given in the question is the second option or option "B". People were not ready to accept those ideas presented by the Populist Party.