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Difficulty: Very hardDomestic Cold War and the Second Red Scare

Source: President Harry S. Truman, Veto of the Internal Security Act (McCarran Act), September 22, 1950

"There is a sharp division between the Bill of Rights and the provisions of this bill... We need not deprive ourselves of the protections of free speech, free press, and peaceable assembly in order to answer the threat of domestic subversion... This bill would make a mockery of our Bill of Rights and would actually help the communists by making many moderate reform movements appear subversive."

Which of the following historical developments from the mid-twentieth century represents the most direct contradiction to the civil liberties concerns expressed by President Truman in the excerpt?

  1. The executive branch's establishment of the Federal Employee Loyalty Program via Executive Order 9835.Answer
  2. B
    The reorganization of military and intelligence networks under the National Security Act of 1947 to carry out global containment.
  3. C
    The bipartisan congressional coalition's support for the Great Society programs to eliminate domestic inequality.
  4. D
    The absolute consensus among civil rights organizations to suspend public demonstrations to prove their loyalty.

Answer

The executive branch's establishment of the Federal Employee Loyalty Program via Executive Order 9835.
The correct answer is correct because President Truman's own administration established the Federal Employee Loyalty Program via Executive Order 9835 in 1947. This program allowed for the investigation and dismissal of government employees based on political beliefs and associations, often without the right to confront accusers. This executive action represents a direct contradiction to Truman's public opposition to the McCarran Act on the grounds of protecting the Bill of Rights.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the historical document to identify the author's argument.
Truman argues that domestic anti-subversion policies must not violate the Bill of Rights or suppress free speech and peaceable assembly.
To establish a baseline understanding of Truman's rhetorical stance on civil liberties in 1950.
2
Recall federal government actions during the Second Red Scare that targeted domestic subversion.
Truman established the Federal Employee Loyalty Program in 1947 (Executive Order 9835), which led to the investigation and dismissal of federal employees based on suspected beliefs or associations without standard judicial protections.
To identify actual policies implemented by the executive branch that impacted civil liberties during this period.
3
Compare the actual policy of the loyalty program with the rhetoric in the veto message.
The loyalty program directly infringed on civil liberties and due process, representing a direct contradiction to the concerns Truman raised in his McCarran Act veto.
To determine which historical event demonstrates a contradiction between Truman's rhetoric and his administration's actions.

Key Concept

The domestic impacts and political contradictions of the Second Red Scare, specifically the tension between civil liberties and national security policies.
Estimated Time:3m 0s
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Topics

Domestic Cold War and the Second Red Scare

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