What does the Hatch Act of 1939 aim to prevent?

The Hatch Act of 1939 aims to prevent political coercion in the workplace, specifically targeting federal employees' engagement in political activities. It was established to ensure the impartiality of federal employees and to prevent the misuse of public office for political reasons. By restricting certain political activities, the Act aims to maintain a clear distinction between government work and political campaigning. This is critical to uphold the principle of nonpartisanship in the civil service, ensuring that government employees can perform their duties without the influence of political pressures or coercion from supervisors or colleagues. This focus is what distinctly makes option B the correct answer.

In contrast, the other options relate to different issues that, while important in the workplace context, are not the focus of the Hatch Act. Workplace harassment and discrimination based on gender address employee rights and protection against bias and mistreatment in a work environment. Violation of security protocols pertains to the safeguarding of sensitive information and procedures but does not directly connect to the political implications the Hatch Act addresses.