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Difficulty: MediumDomestic Cold War and the Second Red Scare

Source: Justice Sherman Minton, majority opinion in *Adler v. Board of Education of the City of New York*, 1952

"A teacher works in a sensitive area in a schoolroom. There he shapes the mind and character of these young people in the devious years of their growth... That the school authorities have the right and the duty to screen the officials, teachers, and employees as to their fitness to maintain the integrity of the schools as a part of ordered society, cannot be doubted. One's associates, past and present, as well as one's conduct, may properly be considered in determining fitness and loyalty."

Which of the following historical developments most directly contributed to the screening policies defended in the excerpt?

  1. A
    A political consensus that global containment policies should be restricted to overseas military engagements.
  2. Widespread anxieties regarding communist subversion and espionage within domestic American institutions.Answer
  3. C
    A return to unilateral isolationism in foreign affairs following the end of World War II.
  4. D
    The establishment of social reform policies under the Great Society to address educational inequality.

Answer

Widespread anxieties regarding communist subversion and espionage within domestic American institutions.
The correct answer is correct because the Second Red Scare of the late 1940s and early 1950s generated intense public concern that communist agents were subverting American democratic institutions from within. This environment led to the implementation of federal loyalty programs, congressional investigations, and state-level loyalty screening for public employees, including schoolteachers.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source's content and date.
The source is a 1952 Supreme Court ruling upholding the screening of public school teachers for loyalty and associates.
This establishes the historical period as the height of the Second Red Scare.
2
Identify the primary driver of domestic policies during this period.
The domestic Cold War atmosphere fostered fears of communist subversion in institutions like schools, the military, and the federal government.
This explains why institutions felt compelled to screen employees for loyalty.
3
Select the option that reflects this cause.
The option identifying widespread anxieties regarding communist subversion and espionage within domestic institutions is correct.
It directly links the policy in the excerpt to the broader historical context of the Second Red Scare.

Key Concept

Domestic Cold War policies, civil liberties, and the impact of the Second Red Scare on public education.
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Topics

Domestic Cold War and the Second Red Scare

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