It sounds like you might be interested in Rick Perlstein's series chronicling the rise of modern Republican leaders against the social background of the decades. Those books are Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus, Nixonland, and The Invisible Bridge. The subjects of the first two should be pretty clear. The third covers Ronald Reagan's rise from the 1940s through the late 1970s. These are inherently political books, and will draw raised eyebrows in some circles, Invisible Bridge more than others. But if you go in expecting the books to be critical of Reagan in particular, you'll be well-served by the background history and the arguments presented.

Naturally this series brings you up to the 1990s but doesn't actually cover the 1990s itself. It still might give you a little of what you want, that is, trends on the Cold War and the interaction between culture and politics. I'm sorry I can't recommend something specifically on the 1990s.