Is there room for left-wing populism in American politics?

A man holds a sign reading "Parity Now" at the 1985 Pierre Farm Crisis Rally.

I joined the podcast “The Same, but Worse” to answer a few questions with burning relevance to modern American politics: What is “progressive populism?” How did Midwesterners respond to the economic challenges of the Farm Crisis and deindustralization in the 1980s? And, of course, which states are in the Midwest?

Continue reading “Is there room for left-wing populism in American politics?”

Crowdsourced History Projects in the Time of Social Distancing: A Virtual Classroom Project

Well, we’re not going anywhere for a while. And with classes cancelled or moved online, many of us are looking for ways to engage our history students beyond traditional online discussions and textbook-reading.

Here’s one way I do that with crowdsourced history projects that involve primary source learning, reinforce secondary source research, and assist local and national archives and history projects:

Continue reading “Crowdsourced History Projects in the Time of Social Distancing: A Virtual Classroom Project”

The Des Moines Register, Background Information…and the Election of 1982?

Dredging up offensive tweets from an Iowa State student whose sign went viral after College Gameday, spawning a grassroots philanthropic drive for a children’s hospital, the Des Moines Register once again reminds us of its past and present issues with sensational background details.

Continue reading “The Des Moines Register, Background Information…and the Election of 1982?”
css.php