Does the United States government still blacklist (employment, etc.) some United States citizens because their political views?

In the context of the U.S. government, the concept of blacklisting citizens based on their political views is complex and involves several nuances.

Federal Employees

The initiative known as Project 2025, backed by the Heritage Foundation and associated with a potential second Trump administration, proposes reclassifying federal civil service workers as political appointees. This plan includes creating a blacklist of federal workers who might oppose the implementation of conservative policies. If implemented, this could lead to the targeting and potential removal of federal employees based on their perceived political views or loyalty to the administration15.

First Amendment Protections

For public employees, the First Amendment provides some protection against discrimination based on political beliefs. However, these protections are not absolute and can vary depending on the circumstances. Public employers, including federal, state, and local governments, are generally prohibited from making employment decisions based solely on an employee's political views2.

Private Sector

In the private sector, federal law does not protect employees from discrimination based on their political beliefs. Employers are generally free to make job decisions based on an employee's political views, although some states have laws that provide additional protections against such discrimination2.

Historical and Current Practices

There have been instances where the government has taken actions that could be seen as blacklisting or targeting individuals based on predictions or associations rather than concrete actions. For example, the No Fly List has been criticized for blacklisting individuals based on predictions of future behavior, which raises significant constitutional concerns4.

In summary, while the U.S. government does not currently have a widespread practice of blacklisting citizens solely for their political views, there are proposals and initiatives, such as Project 2025, that could lead to such practices if implemented. Additionally, the protections against political discrimination vary significantly between public and private employment sectors.