What is McCarthyism?

Answer 1

McCarthyism is a term referring to a republican Senator in the 1950s who had lists of suspected communists in our government, military and army, but had absolutely no evidence to warrant his investigations. He ruined thousands of lives because he reacted out of fear.

I equate it with uneducated assumptions of others.

Answer 2

McCarthyism is the term describing a period of intense anti-Communist suspicion in the United States that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. The term derives from U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, a Republican of Wisconsin.
During this time people in a variety of situations were accused of being Communists or Communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment, destruction of their careers, and even imprisonment. Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts that would later be overturned,[1] laws that would later be declared unconstitutional,[2] dismissals for reasons that would be later declared illegal[3] or actionable,[4] or extra-legal procedures that would later come into general disrepute.

Answer 3

Mc·Car·thy·ism /məˈkɑrθiˌɪzəm/
–noun
1.the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, esp. of pro-Communist activity, in many instances unsupported by proof or based on slight, doubtful, or irrelevant evidence.
2.the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, esp. in order to restrict dissent or political criticism.
[Origin: 1950, Americanism; after J. R. McCarthy; see -ism]

In the 1950s, the House UnAmerican Activities Committee, led by Sen. Joseph McCarthy, launched a massive investigation into Communist activities in the US. People were put onto "blacklists" if the committee decided that they supported Communism or were members of organizations that were fronts for Communists. People could be put on the blacklist for something as simple as walking down the same street as a protest, being a member of a group like the ACLU or a labor union, or being accused by someone with an axe to grind.

http://www.reference.com/search?q=mccarthyism has more info.

Answer 4

When Senator Joseph McCarthy had the country believing that communists had infiltrated every office of the government.

Answer 5

To prosecute on hear-say evidence.

Answer 6

it has something to do with those dam Communist bastards