McCarthyism, Media, and Political Repression: Evidence from Hollywood

Demagogues have existed throughout history, yet their impact on individuals and society remains little understood. We study a far-reaching episode of demagoguery in American history. From the late 1940s to 1950s, anti-communist hysteria led by Senator Joseph McCarthy and others gripped the nation. Hollywood was a prime target, with hundreds of professionals in the industry being accused of having communist ties or sympathies. To study the Red Scare in Hollywood, we assemble a unique collection of data on individual and film characteristics, spanning the period 1930-1970. We show that the anti-communist accusations targeted progressive personalities with dissenting views. Implementing a difference-in-differences design, we find that accused actors and screenwriters experienced a significant setback in their careers that lasted a decade or more. Beyond the effects on the accused, we also document a decline in progressive films during the McCarthy era. We provide suggestive evidence that this shift in film content made society more conservative, using newly-digitized data on movie theaters across US counties. Areas with greater movie exposure saw increased Republican support in presidential elections after the onset of the Hollywood Red Scare. Our results highlight how demagoguery can suppress civil liberties and reshape political preferences in society.