How would I approach writing the introductory script for the evening news explaining the rise of the Populist Movement?
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Such a script would include the causes for the rise of the Populists. So it would have to deal with the difficult conditions faced by farmers in the South and the Midwest during the late nineteenth century. It would have to discuss falling crop prices and especially the role of the railroads, who used a number of different predatory business practices to extract as much money as they could from farmers, who depended on them for shipping purposes. It would also have to include some discussion of the monetary issues that concerned the Populists, including the closely related issues of debt and currency. As debtors, the Populists wanted an expanded, deflated currency issued against silver, which placed them in conflict with business interests who favored money based on the gold standard. Finally, your evening news script may want to address some of the demands of the Populists. These included addressing some of the issues above, like unlimited coinage of silver, but also some more sweeping reforms like a progressive income tax, nationalization (or at least strong regulation) of railroads, the eight-hour workday, the secret ballot, and direct election of senators.
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