Example Of Essay On How The Cold War Shaped Americas Society, Economy And Politics

The Cold War took place between1947 to 1991. This war was a political and military tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. It is known as cold war because there was no direct/ physical fighting between the two powers; it was a war of words. This war was started after the end of the 2nd world war. This war has been debated upon to be very significant among other events in the history of the United States. The Cold War became a great influence in the United States as it has shaped America’s economy, society and politics. The war has affected the government of the United States in both positive and negative ways.
After the cold war, America’s economy grew significantly. Many American citizens found stable jobs which doubled their income leading to the growth of the economy. Additionally, because of the cold war, America’s economy increased and excelled beyond that of stable countries of that time. America came out of the war as one of the world’s largest economic power. Its economy became stable and successful. Moreover, the cold war led to the growth of the consumer society whereby many businesses were established and they lead the global economy. Many citizens had something to do as many job opportunities were created. The wages were increased and this improved their living standards. The cold war stirred confrontations around the world as the United States and the Soviet Union fought to influence other nations with their economic and political ideologies.
The cold war provided a stage for the enlargement of federal powers. Furthermore, it led to the federal government becoming stronger and powerful making it to be known as a government with unlimited powers. The relationship between the federal government and the people changed as it took a greater role in the economic and social lives of the American citizens. The power of the States went back to federal government and many decisions about the lives of the citizens were made by the federal government.
Moreover, the cold war led to the emergence of military industrial complexes which have helped shape the society and the foreign policy. Huge arsenals of atomic weapons and ballistic missiles were built to keep their armory. The U.S. began supplying military equipments to other nations as it was the sole super power. The U.S. became the dominant power that supplied weapons to all nations around the globe after the building of the military industrial complex. The complex supplied weapons and missiles both to the U.S. military and the outside world.
There were improvements socially after the cold war as American citizens were able to embrace family institutions. The marriage institution was honored as marriage rates increased because people settled down and had families as they had enough income to cater for their needs. In contrast, the institution was also affected negatively as other minority groups of married individuals who did not embrace the marriage institution got involved in extra-marital affairs. This was because of the increased rates of their income and so they had more than enough cash to spend. Others decided to stay as bachelors and this forced many women to reject tradition and work in order to sustain themselves. Moreover, there was a great improvement in the insurance sector since all workers were covered by social security and so their jobs were secure.
The cold war changed the American politics as politicians used anti-communism hysteria in their campaigns so as to win. This is because the Soviet Union was in favor of communism while America was in favor of capitalism and so they had different ideologies and the U.S. had to make sure that capitalism wins. In addition, America was able to influence other nations with their culture through movies and also through the globalization of the American image. The youth revolted and expressed themselves through movies, literature and music like jazz, rock and roll and also through other different cultural forms.
After the cold war, the tranquil and consensus ideal was disputed by the civil rights movement as they wanted Americans to live together equally. The Civil Rights movement wanted all Americans to have equal rights in their jobs, getting houses and other things and they fought for that.
In conclusion, the cold war was the most significant war in the American history that left a significant legacy. It was an ideological war between two super powers and their allies. The two powers had nuclear weapons which they used to threaten each other. The war had a large impact in the United States which has shaped the U.S.’s economy, politics and society. In addition, it led to the enlargement of federal powers whereby the federal government powers exceeded that of the people. Many Americans embraced family institutions since they had stable jobs which gave them income to cater for their families. The cold war was a war that will be remembered in the American history due to its significant legacy it left behind.