Zusammenfassung der Ressource
"McCarthyism had little affect on domestic policies 1950-54"
- Impact on Trade Unions
- Under the pressure of McCarthyism they became pressure groups and dropped pressure for change.
- They were targeted as communist as they are socialist leaning.
- Officials were required to take an oath.
- There were less strikes so workers rights were sacrificed out of fear.
- Suggests large impact due to fear communist accusation.
- Impact on State Department.
- Any politician with a hint of a radical agenda was accused of being a communist.
- McCarthy gave the "Wheeling speech" accusing 205 officials as having communist connections and was reduced to 57.
- Many key officials in the State Department lost their jobs.
- This would have a big impact on foreign policy
- Lots of expertise was lost.
- Many people were blacklisted from companies, in New York alone 300 teachers lost their jobs.
- Large affect because hundreds jobs lost - highlights the atmosphere of paranoia
- Impact on Truman and Eisenhowers policy areas
(LEGAL IMPACT)
- 1952 = McCarran Internal Security Act
- 1954 = Communist Control Act
- Suggests a large impact of Truman + Eis. domestic policy as legal
acts against the spread and influence of communism
- Undermining public political freedom
- CONTRAST
- Several liberal/socialist policies throughout presidencies
- Civil Rights = CGCC Executive Order, 1951
- Increase minimum wage by 25%
- Eis appointment of Earl Warren to Supreme Court = made court more liberal
- Despite red scare, still several left wing policies past
- McCarthyism didn't have a large enough impact on other domestic policy decisions
- Politicians were cautious when creating policies due to red scare
- Suggests McCarthy impact
- Presidents couldn't introduce any 'radical' domestic policies
- LINK to joss losses in the State Department
- Social Impact
- McCarthy's Downfall
- Can't have had a large impact if resulted in loss of all influence by 1954
- e.g. approval ratings slumped from 50% to 35% by end of '54
- Loss in public interest and Communist hysteria
- Throughout 1950-54 large Communist hysteria and red scare
- Hunt for Spies
- Rosenburgs executed in 1953
- Alger Hiss imprisoned for 5 years due to treason (during 1930s)
- Karl Fuchs (who named other Spies and so on)
- Highlights the impact McCarthyism had on paranoia
- Election of Eisenhower in 1952 = Republican
- Democrats had been in power for 20 years previous SO large change
- Red scare encouraged a more right wing outlook
- VP Nixon = strong stance against communism
- Encourage public vote