Answer:
The 1896 Presidential Elections actually did change the picture of the United States politics by making it clear that mere popularity can't help any party win an election. It brought to the light that there are factors that demand equilibrium and loss of none, no matter if anyone gets profited or not.
Explanation:
The 1896 Presidential Elections could be considered as the turning point in the history of US politics :
Because the elections were viewed as a fight between the country and the city which was eventually dominated by the city and finally won. For the first time ever, a single person, William Jennings Bryan, was nominated by two different parties as their presidential candidate.
The successes and failures of populism:
While populism seemed to be a good idea to the farmers and other country people, it raised fear in the minds of factory workers and the industry owner as they believed that the free silver policy would ruin the US economy. Thus, populism was both a success and a failure.
Aftermath faced by the Populist Party, as well as the Democrats and the Republicans, in the years after the election:
The populist ideas after the defeat of their candidate started dimming off and the Populist Party was never seen to be active ever again. The only two dominant parties in the politics of the US remained to be were the Democratic Party and the Republic Party. The Republic Party rose to be more dominant in the following elections.
