In his book about the origins of the national security state, historian Michael Hogan sums up a common view of the Cold War’s effect on liberalism:

Eisenhower’s legislative achievements, however, suggest not only that the New Deal did march forward in the 1950s but also that national security did legitimate notions of an activist state and did justify a more aggressive role for government in promoting social welfare. Eisenhower was conservative in his demeanor and rhetoric but what he fought for, the decisions he made, and the policies he supported furthered the liberal agenda and continued a New Deal way of thinking. And when conservatives in his party or the public in general objected, Eisenhower was able to justify his policies in terms of national defense. Eisenhower was, of course, fully committed to the Cold War. But he also believed – like most liberals – that public spending could even out the “peaks and valleys” of economic life and that the federal government had some responsibility for the health and welfare of its citizens.