The major changes in the United States caused by the Cold War began with rapid military and infrastructure development. Due to the growing danger and likelihood of Soviet aggression in the United States, the government began to improve their infrastructure and defense systems. In October of 1956 the Saturday Evening Post (Doc. 4) published an article that discussed the National System of Interstate and Defense highways. These roads were designed to prevent traffic jams that would block off roads needed to reach industrial and defensive areas. Historical Tables on the United States budget ,(Doc. 9), asserts in 1960, 52% of America’s overall budget went towards the United States Defense. This amount was nearly double the percentage spent in previous years, but America had not yet engaged in …show more content…
It had a profound effect on every aspect of American life. The military branches and infrastructures expanded dramatically as a direct response to the possibility of war. The education system rotated almost entirely around science and engineering to create advances in the Space Race. Society became generally paranoid of either wrongful persecution, economic warfare, or actual atomic warfare. The panic and the economical impact caused by the Cold War significantly affected America’s laws and culture; hatred towards socialism still exists in American society