THE UNITED STATES
The U.S. had emerged as the world's wealthiest and most powerful country- untouched from the horrific destruction of World War 2. The dollar was the strongest currency and foreigners flocked to invest in American companies and to buy U.S. government bonds. They played a leading economic role, as other nations needed American goods and services; transforming life in the United States itself. Many Americans prospered in the world's wealthiest economy, although some segments of the population were left to struggle. As Americans became more affluent, many moved from the cities to the suburbs and also to the states in the Southern and Southwestern parts of the country- where jobs were becoming more plentiful than in the industrialized Northern states. The vast popularity of American culture abroad confirmed the global influence of the U.S., as the world embraced their various art forms. Elvis Presley, musical comedies, Hollywood romances, and action movies were recognized worldwide. The federal government also contributed to this boom, as the congress created programs that helped the veterans, the elderly, and the poor; as well as approving government funding to build a major interstate highway system.
After World War 2, conflicting ideologies and mutual distrust caused divisions between the former Allies, leading to the conflict known as the Cold War- a state of tension and hostility between nations aligned with the United States on one side and the Soviet Union on the other, without armed conflict between the major rivals. The Soviet Union side wanted to spread communism and the United States wanted free elections in Eastern Europe- which they had agreed upon in their peace agreements- but Stalin (the Soviet dictator) ignored that pledge. This prompted U.S. president Truman to take action. In 1947 he outlined a new policy to congress (known as the