Question

Read the following paragraph from the section "Birth of the Populists":

They demanded democratic reforms such as the initiative, where citizens could directly introduce debate on a topic in the legislatures. The referendum would allow citizens - rather than their representatives - to vote a bill. Recall would allow the people to end an elected official's term before it expired. They also called for the secrret ballot and a one-term limit for the president.

What conclusion is BEST supported by the paragraph above?

a) Presidents in the 1800's had too much power over other branches of government.
b) Populists wanted people to be more involved in the political process.
c) Politicians were not listening to the concerns of the people they represented.
d) State and federal legislatures excluded people from their meetings.

Answer 1

The Populists advocated for more citizen involvement in governance through democratic reforms such as initiatives, referendums, and recall processes to foster direct democracy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best conclusion supported by the paragraph about the Populists from the section "Birth of the Populists" is that Populists wanted people to be more involved in the political process. This is evidenced by their demands for democratic reforms that would enable more direct citizen participation in governance, such as the initiative, referendum, and recall processes which allow citizens to propose and vote on laws directly, as well as the secret ballot and a one-term limit for the president. These reforms indicate a clear desire to increase direct democratic engagement and diminish the gap between elected officials and their constituents.

Answer 2

b) Populists wanted people to be more involved in the political process.

Step-by-step explanation:

The paragraph shows that the Populists wanted people to be more active and involved in the political process. The main reason of this involvement is to reduce the power of elite group in the political affairs. This involvement leads to formation of better laws and regulation for the people as a result the prosperity and development of people occurs. The politicians can't represent the point of view of its people so that's why the Populists wanted the involvement of people in the politics.