Harry Riley
McCarthyism

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During the time that One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest was written, McCarthyism was brought about. The term McCarthyism refers to a campaign based on unfair allegations, fear tactics, innuendo, and sensationalized threats of guilt by association. Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy was a republican from Wisconsin in the 1950's. McCarthy was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1946 and rose to national popularity after newspapers reported on a speech he made in Wheeling, West Virginia, on February 9, 1950, and in that speech he claimed to have a list of 205 State Department employees who were members of the Communist Party. McCarthy’s list later decreased to eighty-one, then fifty-seven because they were being thrown out of government. This was also going on during the time of the red scare so that definitely was a reason why McCarthy was doing this, because of the fear of communism. He basically just tried to reveal any alleged communists in the Government because at the time the country was in fear of communism spreading and McCarthy tried to make sure it didn't happen in our government.