When Democrats Won the Heartland: Progressive Populism in the Age of Reagan, 1978-1992

In the 1980s, the Midwestern economic collapse caused by the farm crisis and deindustrialization inspired the region’s liberal politicians to call on progressive populist traditions to rebuild local, state, and national Democratic parties. Cory Haala looks at the Midwest’s central role in asserting an updated populism wielded by grassroots activists, politicians, and a wide-ranging coalition of voters to counter Reagan-era conservativism.

This left-oriented movement resurrected the imagery...