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McCarthyism

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 25mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What was one primary effect of McCarthyism on American society?

a)

  • Increased support for Communist parties

b)

  • Decreased international relations with Europe

c)

  • Widespread suspicion and fear of Communism

d)

  • Greater public trust in government

2.

Define McCarthyism

4 lines
3.

What is McCarthyism most closely associated with?

a)

  • Government reforms

b)

  • Anti-Communist investigations

c)

  • Communists activity in Europe

d)

  • Civil rights movements

4.

McCarthy accused members of which U.S. government department of harboring Communist sympathies?

a)

  • Department of Defense

b)

  • Department of Justice

c)

  • Department of Commerce

d)

  • Department of State

5.

Campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions 

a)

McCarthyism

b)

Eisenhowerism

c)

Trumanism

d)

Marshallism

6.

What was the process of attempting to root out communists on the home front during the Second Red Scare called?

a)

Elvisism

b)

Richardism

c)

McCarthyism

d)

Eisenhowerism

7.

The term "McCarthyism" represents...

a)

Pro-communist propaganda and the cry for the spread of communism

b)

The desire for a new voting process in America without the electoral college

c)

Anti-communist propaganda and reckless accusations and little evidence of guilt.

8.

Senator Joseph McCarthy accused the State Department of having a large number of Communist sympathizers, although he was never able to prove his claim. Today, _________ stands for making exaggerated anti-Communist accusations without any real evidence.

a)

McCarthyism

b)

Marshall Plan

c)

Natzism

9.

Americans were afraid that ___________ were going to infiltrate our government.

a)

Anarchists

b)

Nazis

c)

Communists

d)

Facists

10.

Which senator proposed that citizens turn in their neighbor if they suspected the neighbor was a communist?

a)

Dwight Eisenhower

b)

Joseph McCarthy

c)

Harry S. Truman

d)

Richard Nixon

11.

Which of the following is NOT true of McCarthyism?

a)

It was a search for Communist infiltrators in the State Department

b)

It mirrored the First Red Scare of the 1920s.

c)

It resulted in the downfall of its namesake Senator.

d)

It prolonged the simultaneous war in Korea.

12.

What impact did Joseph McCarthy have on American society?

a)

created opposition to US involvement in Latin American affairs

b)

Encouraged the widespread fear of Communism

c)

strengthened the US Army

d)

encouraged the Americans to stand up for their civil rights

13.

Joseph McCarthy (McCarthyism) tried to attempt to incite fear about -

a)

Japanese Americans confined in internment camps.

b)

Organizers of the Civil Rights movement.

c)

Accomplices in the Watergate Scandal.

d)

Members of the Communist Party in government positions.

14.

Who was the the Senator who was accusing others of being spies for Communism?

(a)  

15.

This committee investigated alleged disloyalty on the part of private citizens, public employees, and those organizations suspected of having communist ties.

a)

The House Un-american Activities Committee

b)

NATO

c)

The Warsaw Pact

d)

The United Nations

16.

"McCarthyism" spawned a hysteria that swept over the nation during the early Cold War. Accusations of links to Communism ruined numerous people and their careers. The decline of Senator Joseph McCarthy came after his televised hearings interrogating

a)

the House Un-American Activities Committee

b)

the Army

c)

Edward R. Murrow

d)

the State Department

e)

the FBI

17.

Do you think we still participate in McCarthyism today?

a)

Yes

b)

No

18.

The Hollywood Blacklist was a result of McCarthyism’s impact on which

a)

Musicians

b)

Industrial leaders

c)

Entertainment stars

d)

College professors

19.

How did the Army-McCarthy hearings contribute to the end of McCarthy’s influence?

a)

  • They revealed Communist infiltrators in the military.

  • b)

  • They showcased his use of unsubstantiated accusations.

  • c)

  • They ended in his formal election loss.

  • d)

  • They concluded in McCarthy’s acquittal.

  • 20.

    Which constitutional principle was most threatened during the McCarthy Era?

    (a)  

    21.

    How did McCarthyism challenge the balance of power between government institutions in the 1950s?

    a)

    It strengthened the executive branch’s authority to conduct investigations without oversight.

    b)

    It empowered Congressional committees to conduct investigations that bypassed typical judicial procedures.

    c)

    It limited the judicial branch’s role in approving legislation focused on national security.

    d)

    It enhanced state governments' control over the federal government's investigative actions.

    22.

    Which of the following most accurately describes the legacy of McCarthyism on civil liberties in the United States?

    a)

    • It strengthened protections for free speech and assembly in the long term.

    b)

    • It established the judiciary as the primary overseer of Congressional investigations.

    c)

    • It heightened awareness of due process rights but also normalized surveillance for political dissenters.

    d)

    It led to an era of relaxed government scrutiny of private citizens’ affiliations.

    23.

    What role did public perception and media coverage play in the rise and fall of McCarthy’s influence?

    a)

    Media initially amplified McCarthy’s accusations but later exposed the lack of evidence, contributing to his decline.

    b)

    Media consistently opposed McCarthy, which limited his ability to spread anti-Communist ideas.

    c)

    Public opinion had little impact on McCarthy’s tactics, as he primarily relied on legal proceedings.

    d)

    The media was uniformly supportive of McCarthy’s actions, contributing to a lasting culture of fear.

    24.

    What was the United States Cold War foreign policy concerning communism?

    a)

    Appeasement

    b)

    Containment

    c)

    Scorched Earth

    d)

    Imperialism

    25.

    What was the primary method used by Senator Joseph McCarthy to identify alleged communists within the U.S. government?

    a)

    A) Public trials with substantial evidence

    b)

    B) Secret investigations with little transparency

    c)

    C) Open debates in Congress

    d)

    D) Collaboration with international intelligence agencies