Final answer:
The Populist Party proposed to expand government powers through the direct election of U.S. Senators, establishing an eight-hour workday, and introducing financial compensation for injured federal employees, with some measures like the direct election of Senators being adopted later.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Populist Party, also known as the People's Party, sought to expand the powers of the government with various proposals aimed at supporting farmers and the working class in the 1890s United States. Three of these proposals included:
- Direct election of U.S. Senators: This idea aimed to make the government more accountable to the people by allowing public elections for Senate seats, as opposed to senators being chosen by state legislatures. This reform was later realized through the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in April 1913.
- Establishing the eight-hour workday for laborers, notably with the Adamson Act for railroad workers, which was a move towards improving workers' rights and conditions.
- Financial compensation for federal employees injured at work, setting a precedent for broader workers' compensation and rights.
While some of their specific goals, like the coinage of silver, were not realized, the Populist Party's advocacy for these and other reform measures laid the groundwork for subsequent progressive action and legislation.