A brilliant review, as always and good insight into American political history. I did pause though when I read this bit:

There were parties like the Populists, the Farmer-Labor Party, and the movement behind Huey Long, which I talked about in my last review. Most of these movements leaned to the left of the American establishment.

I thought about Lindbergh, isolationism and eugenics in the thirties and early forties. The movement was quite strong. It not only advocated keeping out of the war, but also was sympathetic to Nazi ideology.

Also, today the Libertarian Party today is very strong, and very right wing.

I think left-leaning parties get more press (as they are more demonized) and consequently seem to have greater influence than they actually do. Just labeling a party left-wing is enough to kill it in this (my) country