How did the threat of communism during the Cold War affect the US in the period of 1945-1960?

Answer 1

The word "fear" may have been used for "hype purposes" but in actuality it was "a purpose for being" what we were during the cold war. And our purpose was to court neutral countries to our side if it appeared that they were swaying to "their side."

Answer 2

The spread of communism challenged the U.S. in at least two distinct ways:

1. Strategically, since the U.S. had become a global power and its power position amongst states was being directly challenged by the rise of a competing and extremely large bloc (the communist states).
2. Economically, since the U.S.'s power largely was built upon and supported capitalism. Capitalism was a form of economic organisation obviously opposed by communism and, in that light, a global struggle was occurring to determine what direction the distribution of world economies would take.

These challenges affected the U.S.'s newly-found strength in global affairs and, in this sense, it fought back by attempting to contain communism by limiting its spread and maintaining Western strength globally.