AP US History Unit 8 Cheatsheet: Cold War and Social Change, 1945-1980

Core U.S. Approach:

• Limit Soviet Communist expansion militarily and ideologically
• Build free-market global economy and international security system
• Collective security, foreign aid, economic institutions (Marshall Plan, NATO)

Containment in Action:

• Korea (1950–1953): Direct military engagement
• Vietnam (1964–1973): Major military commitment
• Latin America: Support non-Communist regimes (varying democracy levels)
• Middle East & Africa: Compete with USSR for nonaligned nations

Fluctuation Pattern:

• Direct/indirect confrontation ↔ Détente (coexistence periods)
• Nuclear arsenal debates; military–industrial complex concerns

The Tension:

• Both parties supported containment abroad
• Disagreed on methods to expose suspected communists at home
• Raised questions about federal power vs. individual rights

Key Issue:

• How far can government go to protect national security?
• What civil liberties are acceptable to sacrifice?

Drivers of Growth:

• Private sector expansion
• Federal spending (defense, infrastructure)
• Baby boom (population increase)
• Technological development

Geographic & Social Mobility:

• Middle class → suburbs (new housing, highways)
• Migration to South & West (jobs, climate, opportunity)
• Sun Belt emergence: Political and economic power shift
• Higher education expansion → social mobility

Cultural Effect: Optimism and confidence in American prosperity (early 1960s peak).