In these modern times, people commonly argue politics who don't really understand the subject. A prime example of this is the frequent misuse of the word "populist" to describe politicians whose policies are anything but. As author Steve Babson notes on the first page of the first chapter of Forgotten Populists, "This has nothing to do ... with the claim that Donald Trump is a 'populist.' The actual Populists of the 1890s would have despised the likes of Trump, a preening billionaire from New York City. Associating this right-wing oligarch with the historical Populists reflects a bias dating back to the 1950s, when defenders of the status quo saw any popular movement -- left or right wing -- as a threat to democratic consensus and the rule of 'responsible' elites."

The story of the Populist movement is centered in the 1890s, primarily involving hard-working farmers, miners and other laborers who were being steamrolled -- and driven into poverty -- by the country's growing corporate interests and business tycoons. They felt exploited by the wealthy class, particularly bankers, railroad magnets and other pillars of big business. Eventually, the movement grew to encompass women and Black workers as well.

Their goal was mostly just to level the field, providing fair prices for the working class. But, much like today, enemies of the movement then frequently declaimed anyone participating in this form of cooperative economic support network as "socialists." Perhaps surprisingly, Populists favored Big Government because it was the only means to combat Big Business. They saw their movement "as pro-people, not anti-capitalist." They wanted, Babson explains, "economic cooperatives, public ownership of railroads and utilities, low-cost federal loans for struggling farmers, postal savings banks, and an end to the gold standard."

After providing a careful look at the rise, ambitions, successes and failures, and eventual decline of Populism as a political movement in the 1890s and beyond into the early 20th century, Babson briefly explores how the idea has evolved -- and how the word is misused -- in modern society.

"Populism" in today's a-historical rendering has become little more than a handy pejorative, a Halloween costume of dangerous and hidden potentials, used to vilify rowdy commoners when they challenge favored elites. Well-intended commentators may use the term because it's in vogue and gives the appearance of historical insight. But for corporate idealogues, it's a weapon for lumping together right- and left-wing movements and dismissing both as threats to established notions of "consensus." In what's defined as acceptable debate, corporate dominance of the economy is presented as natural, requiring only minimal regulation. ... The corporate rich will spend massive amounts on commercial media, lobbying, philanthropy, foundations, and strategic investments to normalize their views. Groups or individuals that challenge the prevailing consensus are then dismissed as unreliable, "populistic," and probably extremist.

That explains how both Trump and his ideological opposite, Bernie Sanders, have both been branded with the "populist" label.

At least Sanders, the Democratic Socialist, ran for president by championing ideas and solidarities that made him a distant cousin of the historical Populists. Trump, on the other hand, took office in 2016 as a proud member of the billionaire class, cutting corporate taxes, weakening regulation of business, and seeking deep cuts in social benefits. By demonizing immigrants and attacking free trade, he tapped into the frustration of many workers who felt abandoned by corporate globalization. ... To call him a "right-wing" populist is a meaningless oxymoron. If this historical term has to be used, Trump was and remains a right-wing anti-Populist.

Forgotten Populists: When Farmers Turned Left to Save Democracy is a slim book of only 50 pages (plus more than a dozen pages of endnotes and citations); generously illustrated, it's a quick and easy read that leads to a better understanding of a once-powerful social and political movement -- and how that movement still has ramifications today.