The War Production Board was instituted in 1942. Many of the Depression Era government programs were replaced or altered to redirect the focus towards producing weapons and supplies. It led to almost universal employment in the United States as the whole nation was involved in the war effort. It also allowed the United States to produce almost 40% of the entire world's supply of munitions, which outpaced the production of the axis powers (30% of the world collectively). 

In general, workers in the United States benefitted from World War Two. Employment was almost universal and wages and benefits were higher, not to mention the rapid growth of the middle class that took place in the decades after the war. But, one notable negative resulted from the emphasis on the war effort. The government passed a bill to block strikes in essential industries. So those workers who were mining coal or drilling for oil etc. were prevented from striking by force and law. 

Rosie the Riveter was an American propaganda figure and symbol of the contribution of women to the war effort during World War Two. She is a cultural icon meant to stand for the millions of women who worked in munitions factories and worked other jobs traditionally held by men. 

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States promptly declared war on Japan, and soon after on the other Axis powers. Japanese residents of the United States were viewed with immense distrust and often outright hostility. The government instituted a policy of forced internment in internment camps.

Roosevelt delivered his famous Quarantine Speech in 1937, amidst a climate of isolationism and neutrality in the United States. The majority of Americans did not want to get involved in the budding conflicts of Europe and Asia, but Roosevelt felt differently. In his Quarantine Speech, he argues that the aggressor nations (referring to Italy, Germany, and Japan) should be cut off from international trade and support.

The Truman Doctrine formed part of United States' foreign policy during the Cold War. It stated that the United States had a duty to provide economic or military support to any country threatened by the spread of communism or the expansion of the Soviet Union.

The Nicaraguan Contras were ostensibly democractic revolutionaries; however, many of the groups committed atrocities. This made it controversial when it was revealed that Ronald Reagan's American government was providing aid to the rebels. Congress banned such aid, but Reagan's adminstration continued to provide aid secretly, culminating in the Iran-Contra Affair.

The speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet" was delivered by Malcolm X in 1964. The intention of the speech was to separate himself from the Nation of Islam as well as encourage African-Americans to defend their rights to vote.

The Brezhnev Doctrine states that all Communist states, in particular the Soviet Union, have a duty to aid the spread and ensure the continuation of Communism around the world. In this sense it can be seen as the opposite of the American foreign policy The Domino Theory. The Domino Theory states that if one country falls under the influence of Communism than the neighboring countries will likely fall also. Therefore, the American people must be willing to fight Communism wherever it appears.

The House Un-American Activities Committee was established in 1945 to monitor and prosecute suspected communists. Specifically, the committee believed its job was to protect the type of government specified under the Constitution—democratic, representative, capitalist, and providing equal economic opportunity—from potential subversion or sedition. The Committee was notable during the Red Scare period of American history.