social studies vocabulary january 13 – january 17

Social Studies Vocabulary January 13 – January 17

Absolute monarchy

Government in which a king or queen has total control

Abundance

Plenty or more than enough of something

Alliance

A bond or agreement between groups or nations

Anti-trust Law

Law intended to promote competition in marketplace by outlawing monopolies

Appease

To give peace

Artifact

Object made by humans in the past

Barred

Forbidden

Big Business

Large corporation with social and political influence

Capital Goods

Products that are sold

Cause & Effect

When something happens as a result of something else

Censorship

To exclude

Centralization

When activities become concentrated within a particular location and/or group.

Checks & Balances

System in which a government’s power is spread among the different branches of government

Clergy

Religious leader

Command Economy

Economic system in which the government makes all economic decisions

Commerce

Large scale buying/selling of goods and services

Common Good

The best interest for the majority

Conservative

Those slow to accept change and who are in favor of traditional values

Competition

When two or more individuals or groups compete for a common goal (usually for business, resources, etc.)

Compromise

When both individuals or groups agree to give up something

Conflict

An argument or difference of opinion

Conflict Resolution

To solve a disagreement

Constituent

Someone with power to elect or appoint a law-making body

Consumerism

Promotion of the consumers’ (the person purchasing a good or service) interest

Consumption

To use

Cooperative

Organization owned and operated for the benefit of those using its services

Corporation

Large business that sells stocks or shares in its business

Compromise

When both individuals or groups agree to give up something

Cultural Diversity

Different groups of people with varying customs and beliefs

Czar

Russian king or queen

Social Studies Vocabulary February 3 – February 7

Data

Information

Deforestation

Clearing away of the forest

Demand

When consumers want/desire a good or service

Democracy

Government elected by the people or citizens

Dependent

To rely on someone or something

Desegregation

To integrate or put together

Dictatorship

One person has complete control over the government

Discrimination

Prejudice action or treatment

Discount

To deduct or reduce the price

Dispersion

To spread out or scatter

Dissent

To disagree or have a difference of opinion

Distribution

To send out

Domestic

Relating to the home or home country

Duties

Obligations or things you are required to do

Economic Prosperity

To have economic success

Economic Sanctions

Economic restrictions, limits, or punishments placed on a group or nation

Efficiency

To finish what you start in an effective way

Emancipation

To set free

Entrepreneur

Someone who starts their own business in a capitalist economy

Equity

Unbiased or equal

Ethnic Group

A group that shares common culture and beliefs

Exclusive

Limited to use/control by one person or group

Exile

To banish or expel from the county

Expand

To increase or enlarge

Federalism

Relationship between state and national governments

Free Enterprise

Economic system with little government control (such as: Capitalism, laissez-faire, market economy)

Free Trade

Exchanging goods between people or countries without taxing

Genocide

Extinction or purposefully killing a group based on their culture alone

Globalization

Trade and cultures are linked throughout the world

Gerrymandering

The drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group

Social Studies Vocabulary February 24 - 28

Homeland Security

Department created after September 11, 2001 to counter terrorism

Humanism

Focus on worldly themes and individual achievement during Renaissance

Humanitarian

Person who wants to improve society by helping others

Imperialism

Policy of building an empire; when a powerful nation controls weaker nation(s)

Impeach

To bring formal charges against an officeholder

Incumbent

The current officeholder

Interdependence

Depending on one another

Investment

Saving money or resources to make a profit or income

Isolationism

Policy used in WWI in which the US tried to remain neutral of conflict

Judicial Review

Review by the US Supreme Court of the constitutionality of a law

Social Studies Vocabulary March 3 – March 7

Jurisdiction

The power to make legal decisions

Kakistocracy

Government led by the least qualified and most unsuitable people

Kleptocracy

Government in which its leaders use the government’s money for their own personal use

Labor Movement

Creation of unions and protest for better pay and working conditions

Lobbying

Activities by which group pressures are brought to bear on legislators

Legal Tender

Any kind of money that a creditor must, by law, accept as payment for debts

Libel

False statements written that harm someone or their reputation

Liberties

Freedoms

Limited Government

When government has restricted power (checks & balances)

Majority Rule

When more than one-half of a group agrees

Mandates

Requirements

Market economy-

Economic system in which the government has little or no control and the market determines the price

Martyr

One who gives their life for a principal or cause

Mass Media

Means of communication that reach large audiences

Metropolitan

A city and the area that surrounds it

Militarism

When the military controls the government

Minority

The smaller in number of two groups

Monopoly

A firm that is the only source of a product or service

Mixed Economy

Combination of market and command economy

Multiparty

A system in which several major and minor parties exist, compete for, and win, public offices

Monarchy

Government controlled by a king or queen

Nationalism

Pride or devotion in one’s country

Natural Disaster

Event in the environment that causes great damage or the loss of life

Natural Resources-

Resources that are not man made

Naturalization

The legal process by which citizens of one country become citizens of another

Opportunity Cost

What you give up to gain something else

Opposition

To be against

Partnership

When two people own equal shares in a business

Pardon

To release from punishment or legal consequences

Persecute

To harass or pick on

Social Studies Vocabulary April 7 – April 11

Perspective

How something is viewed

Political Corruption

When a political leader breaks the law or commits unethical actions

Perjury

The act of lying under oath

Prejudice

Preconceived judgment or opinion

Propaganda –

A technique of persuasion aimed at influencing individual or group behaviors

Privacy

The right to be apart of separated from someone or something

Production

To make something

Prosper

To succeed

Pull Factor

Abundance of jobs/opportunities bring people to a given area

Push Factor

Lack of jobs/opportunities force people to leave a given area

Public Debt

All of the money borrowed by the government not yet repaid, including the interest accrued on that money

Quota

Limited or fixed amount

Ration

Limits placed on certain goods or items

Reform

To change

Republic

Democratic government or democracy

Resources

What you need to make something

Responsibilities

What you are expected to do

Revenue

Total amount of income received

Rule of Law

System in which government leaders must act according to laws

Repeal

To recall

Scarcity

Not enough of something and the central problem in economics

Search & Seizure-

When a government agency with probable cause looks for & takes evidence or potential evidence used in a crime

Security

To feel safe or free of danger

Separation of Powers

Distribution of power among the 3 branches of government

Slander

False statements that are orally spoken that harms someone or their reputation

Social Institutions

Places that society needs to function (Ex. Schools, hospitals, govt. offices, police stations, etc…)

Stereotype

Preconceived idea about what someone or something is like

Stock Market

Place in which shares of corporations are bought & sold

Socialism

Philosophy based on the idea that the benefits of economic activity should be fairly distributed

Subsidies

Grants or assistance of money or resources

Social Studies Vocabulary April 28 – May 2

Suburban

Residential area just outside a city

Suffrage

The right to vote

Superpower

Nation that is very powerful economically, politically, & militarily; has worldwide influence

Supply & Demand

Price is determined by quantity, strongest relationship of a market economy

Tariffs

Tax for an exchange of goods

Totalitarian

When one person has complete control over a group or nation

Traditional economy

Economic system based largely on agriculture, still prevalent in less developed nations (Africa, South America, etc…)

Treason

Betrayal of one’s country

Treaty

A formal agreement between two or more sovereign nations

Urbanization

Moving from rural areas to the city

Social Studies Vocabulary May 5 – May 9

Veto

The right to refuse approval

Vigilante

One who takes the law into their own hands

Terrorism

The use of violence to intimidate a government or society

Windfall Profit

Unexpected income or profit

Xenophilia

Attraction or admiration to that which is foreign

Xenophobia

Fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers

YankeeA native or inhabitant of a northern US state

Yield

To give up one’s place

Zionism

Jewish movement in response to Anti-Semitism concerning the support & development of Israel

Zoning Board

Group of officials who divide an area into zones with different restrictions

Social Studies Vocabulary REVIEW**

social studies vocabulary january 13 – january 17

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