How Did The Post Cold War Change American National Identity

The start of Period 9 can be traced back to the final years of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The introduction of Reagnomics, promoted by President Ronald Reagan, brought policies such as reducing government spending, cutting taxes, and deregulating businesses to help restore the United States’s economy and fund war efforts that eventually helped the United States defeat the Soviet Union. A new sense of pride and confidence grew among Americans as the idea of building up national security meant their country could be stronger than ever. The end of the Cold War brought government encouragement of global trade and cultural exchanges in the hopes of creating a stronger and peaceful democracy for the upcoming new century.

After the Cold War, the U.S. government became increasingly more careful about their role as the main superpower in the world and wanted to avoid conflict as much as possible. They tried to fulfill this by creating alliances and trade networks with other countries to keep the peace while gaining. The emergence of friendly countries changed Americans' national identity and how they viewed themselves and their countries' power. The change in global dynamics post-Cold War created a National Identity where Americans had to have an internationalist perspective and realize their country was constantly changing and becoming more diverse. The National Identity of Americans changed after September 11, 2001. On 9/11, terrorist-hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the South Tower, killing nearly 3,000 American citizens. This tragic attack caught the United States by surprise and forced them to become more cautious and aware. Terrorism challenged everything the United States has believed in, including liberty, equality, the rule of law, individualism, and limited

The ideas of diversity and equality that were previously promoted were being thrown out the window as people became fearful of terrorism and the presence of other countries and immigrants. Americans became united over the resilience of their country and formed a new national identity for the United States. They were strengthened and felt more protected with increased security and higher surveillance on foreign interactions. National Identity transitioned away from American values as there were increased debates over diversity and individual rights after 9/11 as people wanted security to prevent more tragic attacks. One thing that stayed constant throughout 1980 to present day was the emphasis and importance leaders in the United States put into economic revival to strengthen the country. In February 1981, Reagan indicated that the United States was in the worst economic mess since the Great Depression. He said that the American Dream of owning a house and building a family in it was disappearing as people could not afford that lifestyle. President Ronald Regan proposes his term “Reaganomics” that promotes mass productivity to eliminate