The Soviet Union governed its nation through fear-based rule, including a force of secret police which would enforce strict rules. It was a communist country, whereas the United States was a democracy.
(DON'T INCLUDE although, its government is not a true democracy, it is actually a republic)
The United States ruled over its nation with balanced power throughout the government, and allowed American citizens to have a say in how society functioned. The most crucial difference between the countries' governments was that the Soviet Union did not allow its citizens to have the right to have a say in how the government functions, or even what employment they received. On the other hand, the United States gave its citizens the opportunity to control how the government made decisions and passed new laws.