What did the term McCarthyism come to symbolize? A. U.S. foreign policy during the 1950s, B. extreme, reckless accusations, C. a substantiated charge of communist activities, or D. espionage for the Soviet Union?

B. extreme, reckless accusations

The term "McCarthyism" came to symbolize the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason, especially related to communism, without proper regard for evidence. It is associated with the period in the United States history known as the Red Scare during the late 1940s through the 1950s. It is named after Senator Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, who became the most visible public face of a period of intense anti-communist suspicion inspired by the tensions of the Cold War. He made numerous claims that there were large numbers of Communists and Soviet spies and sympathizers inside the United States federal government and elsewhere. However, McCarthy and his supporters typically lacked concrete evidence to support these claims, leading to unfair and unfounded persecution of many individuals.