New War of Ideas.

The 1950s ushered in the modern era of American political thought. World War II had thrust the nation into the position of leader of the Western democracies in a world increasingly divided along ideological lines defined by the cold war. The Communist governments of the Soviet Union and mainland China were poised to challenge U.S. influences, and fearful Americans began to peer beyond their country's borders and consider the potentially devastating impact of foreign affairs on their lives. The cold war was thus not only characterized by spy intrigue and threats exchanged by Eastern and Western officials, it was also fought on the domestic front. The war of ideas between the American Right and Left was the struggle to forge a political philosophy that would usher the American people through dangerous times. The struggle was fought increasingly between the...