HOPING FOR CONTINUED U.S.-Soviet cooperation rather than unilateral American intervention to resolve foreign crises, some liberal members of Congress had initially opposed the implementation of containment. By 1948, however, most had gotten behind Truman’s decision to fight communism throughout the world, a decision that marked the most momentous foreignpolicy initiative in the nation’s history.

More than any development in the postwar world, the Cold War defined American politics and society for decades to come. It transformed the federal government, shifting its priorities from domestic to external affairs, greatly expanding its budget, and substantially increasing the power of the president. Military spending helped transform the nation itself, as defense contracts promoted economic and population booms in the West and Southwest. The nuclear arms race put the people of the world at risk, consumed resources that might have been used to improve living standards, and skewed the economy toward dependence on military projects.

In sharp contrast to foreign policy, the domestic policies of the postwar years reflected continuity with the past. Some liberals in Congress avidly supported Truman’s proposals for new programs in education, health, and civil rights, but a majority of members of Congress did not. Consequently, the poor and minorities suffered even while many other Americans enjoyed a higher standard of living in an economy boosted by Cold War spending and the reconstruction of Western Europe and Japan.

Another cost of the early Cold War years was the anti-Communist hysteria that swept the nation, narrowing the range of ideas acceptable for political discussion. Partisan politics and Truman’s warnings about the Communist menace fueled McCarthyism, along with popular frustrations over the failure of containment to produce clear-cut victories. The Korean War, which ended in stalemate rather than the defeat of communism, exacerbated feelings of frustration. It would be a major challenge of the Eisenhower administration to restore national unity and confidence.