Populism, Gold Standard, and Late 19th-Century Economic Debates

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on populism, the gold standard, economic policy debates, xenophobia, and conspiracy theories.

Gold standard

Monetary system in which a currency is backed by gold; money supply tied to gold reserves, influencing price levels and debt repayment.

Deflationary measures

Policies or conditions that cause prices to fall; described in the notes as important to the populist movement and beneficial to farmers.

Greenback Party

Political party formed to challenge the gold standard by advocating expansion of paper money (greenbacks) to aid farmers and debtors.

William Jennings Bryan

Populist figure who ran for president in 1896; champion of monetary reform and domestic goods.

William McKinney

Winner of the 1896 presidential election who defeated Bryan (as named in the notes).

Tariffs

Taxes on imports; protective tariffs were opposed by the populists in the notes.

Domestic goods

Goods produced within the country; the populists favored domestic over imported products.

Xenophobia

Fear or distrust of foreigners; part of the populist us-versus-them mentality.

Protocols of the Elders of Zion

A fraudulent anti-Semitic document used as propaganda to claim Jewish control of finance.

Richard Hofstadter

Historian who argued that populism included paranoid conspiracy theories about Jews and banking control.

Huey Long

Louisiana progressive figure described as a relatable, everyday populist leader in the post‑Gilded Age era.

Us vs Them mentality

Worldview that divides people into 'us' (ordinary folks) and 'them' (elites/cities/wealthy) to explain politics.

Conspiracy theories

Beliefs about hidden plots by powerful groups; central to some populist narratives in the notes.