Students explore the similarities and differences in the populist and progressive ideologies and the parties those ideologies gave rise to. Then, they analyze and evaluate several government reforms of the Progressive Era: initiative, referendum, recall, and the 16th and 17th amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Finally, they examine populism and progressivism as terms that are still influential in American politics.
Students read an overview of the Progressive Era and the lesson objectives, then examine the political cartoon “The Bosses of the Senate” as an example of concerns about corporate influence over government. They look up and record their own definitions of populism and progressivism in two tables. Finally, they read a short explanation of how both populists and progressives opposed the political power of wealthy corporate interests and formed third parties to challenge Democrats and Republicans.
Teacher MovesClarify the lesson goals and key terms by sharing or discussing sample definitions of populism and progressivism. Use the “Bosses of the Senate” cartoon to prompt students to identify who is depicted as controlling the Senate and how this connects to concerns about monopolies and trusts. Highlight that both populists and progressives believed corporate interests had too much power in politics.
Students view an image of Theodore Roosevelt “mixing political ingredients,” then read background text explaining that the Populist Party emerged earlier and drew mainly rural and small-town support, while the Progressive Party appealed more to urban voters, including immigrants. Using resources such as Populist Party, Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Party, 1912, and the “A Progressive Democrat” section of Progressives in the White House, they gather information and complete a Venn diagram graphic organizer comparing and contrasting the Populist and Progressive parties.
Teacher MovesUse the Roosevelt cartoon to discuss how the artist portrays Roosevelt’s political strategy and the significance of the 1912 election. Encourage students to use the readings to identify distinct and shared goals, constituencies, and views of government power for the two parties as they complete the Venn diagram. For students who want to go deeper, suggest additional readings such as The Election of 1912 or accounts of the Populist Party and the 1896 election.
Students read an explanation of how the Progressive Era changed the U.S. political system, focusing on the 16th Amendment (federal income tax) and the 17th Amendment (direct election of U.S. senators), supported by readings such as 16th Amendment, 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators, and A Century Later: The Adoption of the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on Direct Election of Senators. They post to a class wall explaining whether they think the 16th and 17th amendments have had a positive or negative impact, with reasons. Next, they read about initiative, referendum, and recall as state-level tools for direct democracy and conduct a brief online search about the 2003 recall of California Governor Gray Davis. They post to a second wall explaining whether the Gray Davis recall is, in their view, a good argument for or against the recall process, and then review classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesGuide students through the purposes and effects of the 16th and 17th amendments, emphasizing how they changed federal power and citizen participation. After students post on the amendments and on the Gray Davis recall, share interesting or exemplary responses from each wall to spark discussion, explicitly connecting views on the amendments with views on recall and other direct democracy tools. Stress that opinions on these reforms depend on political perspective and that there is no single correct answer, and clarify that initiative, referendum, and recall apply to state and local—not federal—elections.
Students read selected portions of the contemporary articles What Is a Populist? and What Does it Mean to Be a Progressive in the U.S.? to see how the terms populist and progressive are used in modern American politics. Drawing on the articles, current events, and prior learning, they write at least one paragraph on a class wall comparing and contrasting the two articles for accuracy, objectivity, and bias. They then review classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesIf needed, read key excerpts aloud to support comprehension. Use student posts to launch discussion about bias and point of view, prompting students to identify language in the populism article that may seem critical or biased and to consider how the source and purpose of each article (e.g., opinion piece in The Atlantic vs. BBC News reporting) shape its tone and objectivity.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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