THE RED SCARE, CAUSATION, POLITICS AND POWER (Crash Course Parody)

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:01]Hello, my name is Buzz Lockhart and this is Crash Course US History. Today we dive into one of the United States of America's favorite pastimes and hobbies, panicking. More specifically, I'm going to talk to you about the Red Scare, the that exciting period in American history when the United States became deeply afraid that communists were hiding everywhere in the government, Hollywood, maybe even hiding under your bed.

[00:00:25]Although statistically speaking, the thing under your bed was probably just the math homework you forgot to turn in last Friday. But this story isn't just about fear. It's really a story about causation. Specifically, how the Cold War caused major shifts in political power inside the U. United States.

[00:00:43]Because fear changes politics and politics changes power.

[00:00:48]So today in this Crash Course video, we're asking the big question. How did the Cold War and the Red Scare shift power within the United States government and society?

[00:01:07]The first section is setting the stage.

[00:01:10]To understand the Red Scare, we first need to understand the context. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as global superpowers, but they had completely different political and economic systems. The United States supported capitalism and democracy, and the Soviet Union supported communism and authoritarianism.

[00:01:29]Neither side trusted the other, kind of like two neighbors staring suspiciously at each other over the fence, except both neighbors had nuclear weapons. This tension between the two sides became known as the Cold War. Now, by this time, Americans were already wary of communism before the Cold War. There had actually been a first red scare after World War I. But after World War II, fear was intensified because the Soviet Union was no longer some distant revolution. It was a global rival with some real military power. Quite a few events actually increased American anxiety. In 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested an atomic bomb.

[00:02:06]China became communist under this guy.

[00:02:08]Chairman Mao Zadong, who I would do a little more research on if I were you, because this was one bad dude. And the final event in 1950, the Korean War began. To many Americans, it suddenly looked like communism was spreading everywhere. And that fear created an opportunity for politicians to gain power. That is where causation becomes important. Cold war tensions directly cause political leaders to expand government investigations, loyalty programs, and anti-communist policies.

[00:02:38]Fear had now become political fuel.

[00:02:40]Section two, Truman and the expansion of federal power. I probably should have found a smaller title. Anyways, one of the first major shifts in power came under Harry S. Truman. In 1947, Truman introduced the Federal Employee Loyalty Program. This program investigated government workers to determine whether they had communist ties. Now, the government had always exercised some oversight over their employees, but the Cold War dramatically expanded federal surveillance and investigation.

[00:03:12]Thousands of Americans were investigated. Most were never proven guilty of espionage or disloyalty. But the suspicion alone could ruin careers, and that is important to keep in mind.

[00:03:23]The Red Scare increased power toward the federal government because Americans increasingly accepted government monitoring in the name of national security. Basically, if you said national security loudly enough in the 1950s, Congress was like, "Sure, take all the budget. It's not like there are more important things." The Cold War also increased presidential power.

[00:03:42]Truman argued that containing communism abroad required stronger executive action at home and overseas. So, causation really matters here. The rise of the Soviet power caused fear in the United States. That fear caused Americans to support stronger federal authority. Finally, that support shifted political power towards the executive branch and federal investigative agencies.

[00:04:06]Section three, HUAC and the power of accusation.

[00:04:10]The federal government wasn't the only institution gaining power. Congress also expanded its influence through the House of Unamerican Activities Committee, HUAC for short. And yes, I also agree it sounds less like a government committee and more like a cartoon villain organization. kind of like Inspector Gadget and he's always going against Dr. Claw and mad. Hu investigated suspected communist influence in American society with one of its biggest targets being Hollywood.

[00:04:40]Writers, actors, and directors were called before Congress and asked whether they were communists or new communists.

[00:04:47]This led to the Hollywood blacklists where entertainment professionals lost their jobs simply because they were suspected of being communists. Now, here's where the issue of power really becomes really important. Huak gained enormous influence because fear gave accusations political weight. Evidence often mattered less than suspicion. The accusation itself became powerful and this changed American politics because it discouraged descent. Many people became afraid to criticize the government policies or express controversial opinions. The cold war therefore caused a shift in balance between civil liberties and national security. In times of fear, Americans were more willing to limit freedom in exchange for perceived safety. That's a pattern that appears repeatedly throughout US history. Section four, McCarthyism.

[00:05:35]And now we arrive at the most famous figure of the Red Scare, Joseph McCarthy. In 1950, McCarthy claimed he had a list of communists working inside the State Department. Woo! Did he really have this list? Short answer, not really. Long answer, also no. But McCarthy understood something incredibly important about politics and power. Fear attracts attention. McCarthy used anti-communist accusations to gain national fame and political influence.

[00:06:05]He accused government officials, military leaders, and public figures on communist ties, often with little to no evidence. This period became known as McCarthyism. And McCarthyism shifted political power in several ways.

[00:06:20]First, it increased the power of politicians who positioned themselves as aggressively anti-communist.

[00:06:25]Second, it weakened political opposition because criticizing McCarthy risked being labeled as unamerican. Third, it strengthened a culture of conformity.

[00:06:34]Americans were pressured to demonstrate loyalty and patriotism publicly. The Cold War didn't just shape foreign policy. It reshaped domestic politics and political behavior. And again, that's causation. Cold War tensions caused widespread fear which allowed political figures like McCarthy to gain influence they otherwise may have never achieved. Section five limits of fear.

[00:06:57]Eventually McCarthy went a little too far in 1954. The Army McCarthy hearings were televised nationally and for the first time millions of Americans watched McCarthy's aggressive tactics directly.

[00:07:10]Turns out accusing everyone of being communist is a lot less convincing when people can actually see you doing it live on the television. During the hearings, Army Attorney Joseph Welch famously asked McCarthy, "Have you no sense of decency, sir?" That moment helped turn public opinion against him.

[00:07:28]And later that year, the Senate formally censured McCarthy. This is important because it shows yet another shift in power. American institutions eventually pushed back against anti-communist extremism. The courts, journalists, and parts of Congress began to defend civil liberties more aggressively. So, while the Red Scare expanded government and political power through fear, over time, it also caused Americans to re-evaluate the limits of power. The conclusion.

[00:07:56]So, what caused the political shifts of the Red Scare? At the center was the Cold War. Fear of Soviet expansion and communism caused Americans to support stronger government and authority, expanded investigations and aggressive anti-communist policies.

[00:08:11]That fear shifted power toward the fellow federal government, toward the presidency, toward congressional investigators, and toward politicians who use anti-communism for influence.

[00:08:23]But the red scare also revealed the dangers of fear-driven policies. Because the nation's anxiety grows, democratic freedoms can shrink. And that's one of the biggest historical lessons of the Red Scare. Political power often expands during periods of fear, but societies eventually have to decide where the limit should be. Also, maybe don't accuse everyone you dislike of being part of an international conspiracy.

[00:08:47]Historically speaking, that tends to age pretty poorly. Thanks for watching and see you next time.