Final answer:
The Taft-Hartley Act aimed to balance the rights of employees and employers, restrict union powers, and lessen labor's political influence. It imposed several restrictions on unions and changed the legal environment to be less supportive of union expansion, affecting union membership and organizing efforts. The correct option is b. employee and employers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose and effect of the Taft-Hartley Act were to balance the rights and duties of employees and employers, as well as to restrict the powers of unions.
Passed by Congress over President Truman's veto in June 1947, this Act significantly altered the pro-union environment established by the Wagner Act of 1935.
The Taft-Hartley Act prohibited closed shops, required union leaders to affirm non-communist affiliations, and permitted states to pass right-to-work laws, among other restrictions.
Although the immediate effect on labor unions was not as severe as anticipated, the Act led to a decline in smaller unions and limited the success of new union organizations in various fields, including the technology and service sectors, and in regions such as the South.
Additionally, it granted the president the authority to intervene in strikes that may affect national interests. The Act responded to public disapproval toward large labor strikes after World War II and reflected the interests of business and political forces opposing the then-powerful labor unions. The correct option is b. employee and employers.