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'''McCarthyism''' is named for U.S. [[Senator Joseph McCarthy]] and refers to Sen. McCarthy's campaign to investigate [[Communist Party of the United States|Communists party]] members working in sensitive US government jobs in violation of the [[Hatch Act]]. The Hatch Act forbad federal employment of workers who had membership in "any political organization which advocates the overthrow of our constitutional form of government."  By 1950, it was widely known the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]] had stolen atomic weapons know-how with the assistance of American citizens, many of them government employees. The United States spent $4 billion to develop the technology, roughly equivalent to $80 billion in today’s money.  International problems were extremely tense at the time, and the knowledge that America's [[Cold War]] enemy obtained atomic weapons capabilities with the help of American citizens working in the government, coupled with the perception that the [[Truman administration]] did nothing about it, was very worrisome to many.

'''McCarthyism''' is named after U.S. [[Senator Joseph McCarthy]] who led a prominent public campaign to investigate [[Communist Party of the United States|Communist Party]] members working in sensitive US government jobs in violation of the [[Hatch Act]]. The Hatch Act forbad federal employment of workers who had membership in "any political organization which advocates the overthrow of our constitutional form of government."  By 1950, it was widely known that the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]] had obtained atomic weapons know-how with the assistance of American citizens, many of them government employees. The United States had spent $4 billion to develop the technology, roughly equivalent to $80 billion in today’s money.  International relations were extremely tense at the time, and the knowledge that America's [[Cold War]] enemy had obtained atomic weapons capabilities with the help of American government employees, along with the perception that the [[Truman administration]] did nothing about it, was very worrisome to many.

McCarthy's efforts to remove security risks from government infuriated the American [[Left]], and they often use the term to mean aggressive questioning of someone's background or personal beliefs, or making accusations of disloyalty. It is a derogatory term. It is often used to refer to [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] (HUAC) or the Hollywood Blacklist, even though those weren't really part of McCarthy's campaign. <ref>[http://www.newmediajournal.us/staff/bates/05252007.htm  Joe McCarthy: Gone But Certainly Not Forgotten], Michael M. Bates, ''New Media Journal'', May 25, 2007. </ref>  

McCarthy's efforts to remove security risks from government infuriated the American [[Left]], and they often use the term to mean aggressive questioning of someone's background or personal beliefs, or making accusations of disloyalty. It is a derogatory term. It is often used to refer to [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] (HUAC) or the Hollywood Blacklist, even though those weren't really part of McCarthy's campaign. <ref>[http://www.newmediajournal.us/staff/bates/05252007.htm  Joe McCarthy: Gone But Certainly Not Forgotten], Michael M. Bates, ''New Media Journal'', May 25, 2007. </ref>