Impacts of Cold War on the US between 1947 and 1953 - Essay Example

Economically, after the Cold War, the United States experienced strikingly rapid growth in its economy. The rapid growth of the American economy could be attributed to various factors. External factors include the collapse of the USSR, which led the United States to hold an important position in the manufacturing and supply of agricultural products, and the annihilation of manufacturing industries in Europe, which provided the United States with a chance to enjoy a production monopoly. The internal factors that led to the skyrocketing of the United States economy were an increase in consumer spending, which was influenced by the growth of liquid assets during the war because workers saved rather than spent, and the change in income distribution where there was a lot of demand for labor. Another factor was government spending on artillery commodities from industries related to national defense.

In regard to society and culture, the Cold War led to various changes in the societal life of Americans. After the Cold War and the Great Depression, the American people wished to go back to their normal lives where women played their role in the household peacefully. There was the creation of more employment opportunities for women, though in jobs that were considered fit for male counterparts and a large number of women were able to acquire jobs outside their homes. The pressure on women to go back to their previous roles came from social pressures related to the cold war and also from their families. The employment of women boosted the economy and also their financial status. Due to the broader social and economic trends, a separate youth culture, which rebelled against suburban values emerged. The youth culture positively influenced the need for freedom of expression of the American people. The freedom of expression later went on to contribute to the end of racism in America. The cold war also made evident, the existence of injustice practices relating to racism and also fuelled the need for changes to be made to eliminate those practices.

In the political circles, the cold war is seen to make possible the manifestation of some changes in civil rights and domestic politics. Before the cold war, the significance, cultures, and views of other nations apart from the United States were not relevantly taken into consideration as being significant in domestic politics regarding domestic race relations. Civil rights movements, which emerged after the cold war affected the positive changes which later occurred in civil. The effects of the cold war went a long way to shape the changes in civil rights of the minority and promote democracy (Balkin 22). The effects also aided the occurrence of progress in women’s rights to promote equality between women and men so that they would have access to the same opportunities as men and proper, politically, socially, and also economically. Read More