Answer:
The 1896 election is called an 'emotional' election year and it lead to significant changes that still have an impact on American politics more than 100 years on.
Explanation:
During the Gilded age of America, US politics were at a stalemate with slow reform and no political party wanting to take a huge risk to get things done.
The election was the first time that a proper media campaign took place for just not the presidential candidate but even for the nominee of a party.
Hence, the democrats and Republicans went head on, competing with one another and even raising some issues that the Populist party had highlighted.
As such, America's third party, the Populist completely lost support and ceased to exist as a national party after the election. With very little support, they did not even have a regional presence.
Populist party ran on issues of economy and believed that the common good was above racism, something that did not caught on with a lot of people, especially in the South.
In all this, the Republicans, which were once seen as the bastion of labor and liberty turned into a party for corporations and industry.
The effects of this election can still be seen today, with a strict 2 party system in the US and republicans being seen as the party for business.
