Are populism, progressivism, the New Deal, and the Great Society related as one continued reform or are there sharp differences?These four...

The first two, populism and progressivism, started mainly as grass roots movements among the people, with reform of government, the economy and society as their goals.  They were based largely on class struggle, the rich vs the poor, and targeted corruption in government and exploitation in business.  While populism largely failed, progressivism became more successful once it was adopted by Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson.

The New Deal and the Great Society were government initiatives and responses to poverty and inequality in society.  The main difference was that the New Deal responded to a crisis - the Great Depression, while the Great Society took place during a time of relative wealth in our country.  The New Deal tried to establish a safety net for the most vulnerable Americans, and the Great Society attempted to expand it.