Membership of the CPUSA peaked in the late 1940's, with over 75,000 members in 1947. But their influence spanned beyond just their membership as some candidates in national elections garnered over 100,000 votes. However, the CPUSA began to decline in both membership in the late 1940s and into the 1950s, presumably due to the Red Scare where the US government publicly tried and convicted Communists and CPUSA members on the grounds of the Smith Act. CPUSA faced challenges when the USSR fell, as they lost their main source of funding. The Communist Party USA is still alive today but its membership and activity have shifted to a more online medium, despite staying active through various challenges, including a significant fracturing in the 1990s, they have never managed to reach their previous heights.