Which of the following describes a major difference between the united states and the soviet union during the cold war?

a. the united states built a large network of alliances.
b. the united states built up huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
c. the soviet union provided economic aid to western europe.
d. the soviet union exerted strict control over its media.

The correct answer is D, as the Soviet Union exerted strict control over its media, while the United States didn't.

Censorship in the Soviet Union was a persuasive phenomenon of state ideological pressure that was valid throughout the history of that country (1922-1991), although with certain ups and downs. There were two periods of relaxation: the first, after the death of the dictator Joseph Stalin in 1953, and the second during the politics of glasnost ("transparency") launched by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986.

Absolutely all the press media within the Soviet Union were strictly controlled by the State, whether it was radio, television, books, magazines and newspapers. This was achieved through the exclusive state ownership of all facilities dedicated to production, so that its members must necessarily be employees of the State. This also extended to the fine arts, including theater, opera and ballet. Music concerts and art exhibitions could only be held in controlled places previously authorized by the State.

nothing certain is known about what happened, but it seems that the country declined gradually, perhaps due to bad government, or, more likely, due to a series of bad harvests, which resulted in widespread and recurrent famine.