It is 1952 and you are President Harry Truman. The Cold War has begun in earnest and America is gripped by anti-communist hysteria fanned by Senator Joseph McCarthy. You simply must show
Americans that you are tough on communism or your Presidency will be destroyed and you have assembled a Loyalty Review Board to ferret out any communists that are working in the U.S.
government. The Republicans are particularly critical of the State Department because of former State
Department employee Alger Hiss was found to be a communist in the 1930s and Republicans blamed the
State Department for the loss of China to communism in 1949. The Loyalty Review Board has investigated State Department Employee John Carter, Vincent. The Panel did not find Mr. Vincent guilty of disloyalty but reluctantly concluded that there is reasonable doubt to his loyalty to the Government of the United States and recommends his termination. You cannot afford anyone questionable to be working in the Government of the United States, but there is no proof of Mr. Vincent’s disloyalty and all the evidence against him is hearsay. What do you do Mr. President? Do you terminate Mr. Vincent or not?