Describe America politically, socially, and economically on the eve of the 20th Century.

Running Head: AMERICA POLITICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND ECONOMICALLY Why the election of 1896 is considered a watershed in the American politics? Name University Course Instructor Date Why the election of 1896 is considered a watershed in the American politics? Despite the fact that the various political parties could have not been highly regarded by several individuals, several observers of the political events are in agreement that the various political parties are very significant to the representative government due to the fact that they provide meaning to the choices that are made by the citizens between the different competing candidates during elections. The alternation of influence and power between the two different major parties is reported to have been one of the most significant elements of the American politics during elections of the year 1896. The party competition was simply the battle between the Republicans and the Democrats for the control of the various public offices (Quincy, 1896). The presidential election of the year 1896 was a demonstration of a sharp division within the society between the rural and urban interests. William Jennings Bryan who was a democrat had the ability of forming a coalition that actually answered the call of the progressive groups as well as the rural interests that included the indebted farmers and those who argued against the gold standard. Nonetheless, the victory of William McKinley’s was very significant since it highlighted the actual shift from the agrarian nation to one that had urban interest. The election was very significant since it was an highlight of the various changes that were taking place within the American society at the very turn of the nineteenth century. The election was a watershed in the United States social, political, and economical history. Indeed the election of the year 1896 is reported to have witnessed the very last great surge of the agrarian populist protest that clashed against the increasing power of the urbanizing, industrial America. Despite the increased spirited campaign that comprised of the 600 speeches as well as 18,000 miles covered across the 27 states, William Jennings Bryan (D) who is historically known as the silver tongued orator and the boy wonder of the Prairie are reported to have been narrowly defeated by the famous William McKinley (R) by approximately less than 600,000 (Kelly, 2003). The late nineteenth-century brought about many changes politically, economically and socially in America. Goldfield et al (2010) states a weakened presidency and inefficient Congress hampered the government's ability to resolve many issues. In the campaign that was held in the year 1896 that has is often considered a realigning election that actually ended the...