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McCarthyism & Red Scare Statistics

McCarthyism & Red Scare Statistics

By the Numbers

Population of the United States in 1940: 132 million
Population of the United States in 1950: 151 million
Population of the United States in 1960: 179 million1

Percentage of American workers who were members of unions in 1930: 11.6%
Percentage of American workers who were members of unions in 1937: 22.6%
Percentage of American workers who were members of unions in 1945: 35.5%
Percentage of American workers who were members of unions in 2006: 12.0%2

Estimated membership of the Communist Party U.S.A. in 1948: 60,000
Estimated membership of the Communist Party U.S.A. in 1953: 25,000
Estimated membership of the Communist Party U.S.A. in 1957: 10,0003

Average weekly nationwide movie attendance in 1946: 90 million people
Average weekly nationwide movie attendance in 1953: 45 million people4

Percentage of Americans' entertainment spending captured by Hollywood in 1946: 90%5

Rank of Harry Truman among most unpopular U.S. presidents since World War II, as measured by contemporary public approval ratings: 16