Answer:
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term refers to U.S. senator Joseph McCarthy (R-Wisconsin) and has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting from the late 1940s through the 1950s.
An open question is a question that has not had a final answer. Hope I helped.
The civil rights activist who wrote that essay was Henry David Thoreau, famous transcendentalist writer who opposed his government and its behavior towards other nations, classes, races, etc.
