The Stability of the '40s.

The '40s became a period of stability.  With the elections of Carl Preston in the UCAS and Joseph Alexander to the CAS, metahumans were included in the cabinets for the first time.  After the Night of Rage, we finally felt like we were at peace.

After swalling up the miles of parkland that used to be reserved for the Manassas battlefield, North Virginia finally completed the Thomas Jefferson International Airport, despite the devastating Alamos 20,000 attack on the site less than a year before.
Preston took a sweeping pro-corporate stance, pushing through the Business Recognition Awards, which demanded all jurisdictions gave extraterritoriality to specified corporations as recognized by the Corporate Court, as well as waiving any right of any citizen or government within the UCAS to file suit directly against a corporation represented by the Court.  Instead, the Court would arbitrate each case.
In 2044, an election year, an anonymous official within the Preston administration leaked a massive CIA operation attempting to undermine the Sioux and Pleblo tribes of the NAN, hoping to cause open revolt and via military action return much of the Rockies and Arizona to the United States, also hopefully laying claim to the city of Denver.  His poll ratings initially tanked with communities favorable to the NAN, but those who had feared Preston was soft on the natives backed him strongly.  He solidified this support by firing the Director of the CIA William Sessions III, and appointing General Steven Coe Bowling, and rode the wave to re-election.
Sports even made a comeback.  In '44, we had the first Olympics since '32, complete with corporate teams participating.  Gladiatorial matches became popular in the US.  Televised Combat Bike and Urban Brawl matches allowed revitalization of formerly destitute areas virtually overnight.  football and basketball joined baseball in allowing cyberware.
The foundation of the Matrix is built, with cyberterminals becoming commonplace.  Limited access to extranets meant the new Matrix grid was largely immune to things such as the Crash Virus, as there is little communication between hubs.  This of course led to the rise of cyberdecks -- portable personal cyberterminals which allowed people to plug in to any terminal and "jack in," frequently with cracked software allowing unauthorized access.  "ICE" programs were created to stop these, and "Black Ice" units even fried those seeking access.  Deckers even rigged the California gubernatorial election, leading to -- you guessed it -- riots and a secession.
After Preston's second term, Alan Adams rode into the presidency on a Democrat-Technocrat ticket, promoting universal Matrix access and expansion of the SIN system to sentient nonhumans, like the Sasquatch.