The consolidation of Republican power and eclipse of the Populists after the 1896 elections can be attributed to a. eastern labor's opposition to free silver. b. the return of general economic prosperity. c. the decline of middle-class values. d. the relative decline of rural America in relation to the cities. e. increasing levels of voter participation in national elections.

Answer: B.

Explanation: The 1896 election was particularly detrimental to the Populist Party in the South as the party was divided between members who favored cooperation with the Democrats to achieve reform at the national level and members who favored cooperation with the Republicans to achieve reform at the state level.

The republican candidate, McKinley who had support from the well-to-do, urban dwellers and prosperous farmers, won a majority of the popular vote and an easy victory in the Electoral College. McKinley's systemized approach to gaining the presidency laid the groundwork for modern campaigns.

Both these feats could be attributed to the general upturn of the economic recovery of a nation that had been in great recession since 1893.