During the McCarthy era, there was an anticommunist politic.
1938: There were the "House Committee on Un-American Activities", which job was detecting every communist activism and affinity. Also many trials took place against politicians, business man, thought leaders and Hollywood personalities. Especially in the film industry, there were strong suspicions of communist propaganda and influence. These doubts allow the Government to start a "witch hunt", giving the Committe a huge power blaming every suspect for being sovietics agents.
This committee made a<u> "black list"</u> with every accussed of collaboration with the communist cause.
Many people who were accussed or suspect, were left jobless and while they were judged, there was no respect for the individual.
<em>Suspects were left without a fair trial. </em>
The term Mccarthyism was concieved as the excuses governors apply and handle, invoking national security, <em>chasing opponents without respecting their constitutional rights.</em> They hide behind the intentions of protecting the country, setting this vital investigations, to guard democracy, no matter if they sensor those who are not in accordance with their politics.
With this info, you can form your point of view and infer what lessons can be learned from the Mccarthy era, in order to preserve the democratic political system.