The correct answer to this open question is the following.
The ongoing Cold War contributed to the rise of conservatism in society because, during those tense years, the American people were afraid of a possible attack of the Soviet Union and supported the federal government investment in the military to buy more weapons in order to protect the country.
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed in the arms race, the space race, and the spread/containment of Communism around the world.
It also was the time of the Red Scare, when Wisconsin Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy accused that members of the federal government and the military had ties with Communists. That created fear and anger in the American people. People supported conservative actions to combat Communism. In the end, McCarthy did not present any evidence, and he finished his political career in isolation.