The Making of a Nation - US Vocabulary (Green Line Oberstufe)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key historical, social, and political terms from the Green Line Oberstufe unit on 'The Making of a Nation'.

influx

A large number of people or things coming to a place at the same time (German: Zustrom).

violent

Using force to hurt or attack (German: gewalttätig; heftig; gewaltsam).

intentional

Done on purpose; deliberate (German: absichtlich; vorsätzlich; related to intent [n] and to intend [v]).

displacement

What happens when people are forced to leave their homes, often occurring in war zones (German: Vertreibung; Umsiedlung).

genocide

The systematic killing to destroy a nation, ethnic group, or religion (German: Völkermord; Genozid).

to establish

To set up something on a permanent basis (German: einrichten; gründen; eröffnen).

to be dependent on sth

Needing someone or something else for financial or survival support; the opposite of to be independent (German: abhängig sein von etw.).

to prosper

To become financially successful; to flourish (German: blühen und gedeihen; related to prosperous [adj] and prosperity [n]).

increasingly

More and more all the time (German: zunehmend).

to be dissatisfied with

Not content or happy with something; the opposite of to be satisfied with (German: unzufrieden sein mit).

representation

The act or state of being represented, such as having delegates on a school board or in government (German: Vertretung; Repräsentation; Repräsentanz; Darstellung).

culminate in sth

To develop until a goal or a series of events finally reaches an end at a particular high point (German: in etw. gipfeln).

ensuing

Happening after or following an event (German: [darauf] folgend; nachfolgend).

to draft

To write an outline or preliminary version before producing a finished work (German: entwerfen; aufsetzen).

to adopt

To formally accept a suggestion, policy, or regulation (German: annehmen; übernehmen).

to ensure

To make sure or guarantee that something happens or that people are treated equally (German: sicherstellen).

to share sth.

To have something in common (e.g., taste in music) or to divide something among individuals (German: hier: gemeinsam haben; teilen).

power

Control or authority over others, which the Founding Fathers limited through a system of checks and balances (German: Macht; Vormachtstellung).

push and pull factor

Interacting forces in migration where push factors describe why people leave their country and pull factors show why they choose a particular destination country to settle (German: Push-und-Pull-Faktor).

economic

Connected with the trade, industry, and wealth creation of a country (German: wirtschaftlich; from Latin oeconomicus).

oppression

Unfair or cruel treatment, such as depriving people of basic human rights or personal freedom (German: Unterdrückung).

involuntary

Done without conscious control or forced by external circumstances; opposite of voluntary (German: unfreiwillig; unabsichtlich).

abolition

The act of officially putting an end to something, such as a law, system, or practice (German: Abschaffung).

to enslave

To make someone a slave and strip them of freedom, as done to many Africans forced to work on colonial plantations (German: versklaven).

peak period

A specific time when the demand for goods, tickets, or services is at its highest (German: Hochsaison).

to account for

To constitute, make up for, or explain the cause of a specific proportion or result (German: ausmachen; erklären).

unified

Brought together or operating as a united whole with a shared vision, voice, or strategy (German: einheitlich; vereint).

to contribute to sth

To help make something successful or provide support toward a common goal (German: zu etw. beitragen).

heritage

Traditions and values that have continued over many years in a society, such as self-reliance, work ethic, and personal freedom (German: Erbe).

to retain (fml)

To keep or continue doing something, such as unique customs and traditions within diverse societies (German: beibehalten).

religious creed

A set of religious, moral, or ethical beliefs guiding a person or group (German: Glaubensüberzeugung; Glaube).

to grant sth to sb

To agree to give or confer legal rights, privileges, or requests to someone (German: gewähren; zusprechen).

to pursue sth/sb

To try to achieve a goal or policy with determination, or to follow someone (German: etw./jmdn. verfolgen; fortsetzen).

to be displaced

Being forced to leave an area, ancestral home, or country due to crisis or conflict (German: vertrieben werden).

ancestral

Belonging to, inherited from, or relating to one's ancestors or forebears (German: Ahnen-; Vorfahren-; Stamm-).

assimilation

The process of becoming similar to others in a country or group by adopting their culture and customs (German: Anpassung).

to strive (for/to)

To make great efforts or struggle vigorously toward an objective, such as equality or peace (German: streben; sich bemühen [um]).

racial segregation

The official practice of keeping different racial groups separate, such as under Jim Crow laws in the American South (German: Rassentrennung).

law

A rule or system of rules recognized by a country or community to regulate the actions of its members (German: Gesetz; Recht; Jura).

descendant

A person related to someone from an earlier generation; opposite of an ancestor (German: Nachkomme/Nachkommin; Nachfahre/-in).

sobering reality

Uncompromising facts or situations that make a person stop and think seriously (German: ernüchternde Wirklichkeit).

abortion

The medical act of ending a pregnancy so that the fetus is not born alive (German: Abtreibung).

pro-choice

Supporting the legal right of women to choose whether to have an abortion (German: für das Recht auf Abtreibung).

pro-life

Believing that human life begins at conception and that abortion discriminates against unborn children (German: für das Recht des Fötus auf Leben).

to advance

To develop, make progress, or improve one's position (e.g., in a career) (German: vorankommen; fortschreiten).

to be rooted in sth

To have developed from or have deep historical origins in something (German: in etw. verwurzelt sein).

interference

Unwanted intervention or involvement, particularly by the state in private or economic affairs (German: Einmischung).

to coin a/the term

To invent a new word or phrase, or use an existing expression in a novel way (German: einen Begriff prägen).

from rags to riches

The trajectory of rising from extreme poverty to immense wealth (German: vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär).

legislative branch

The branch of government that makes laws; in the US, this is comprised of both the House of Representatives and the Senate (German: Legislative [gesetzgebende Gewalt]).

judicial branch

The branch of government that interprets laws; includes the Supreme Court, which serves as the highest court of appeal in the US (German: Judikative [richterliche Gewalt]).

executive branch

The branch of government headed by the president that carries out and enforces laws through various departments and agencies (German: Exekutive [ausführende Gewalt]).

to pledge

To make a solemn or formal promise, such as reciting the Pledge of Allegiance (German: geloben; hoch und heilig versprechen).

susceptible to

Easily influenced, swayed, or harmed by external forces (German: empfindlich; beeindruckbar; beeinflussbar).

polarisation (no pl)

The division of attitudes away from centrist positions toward sharply opposing or extreme ideological viewpoints (German: Polarisation).

swing state

A US state where electoral outcomes are closely divided and can reasonably be won by either Democrats or Republicans (German: US-Bundesstaat mit hohem Wechselwähleranteil).

electorate

The entire collective body of citizens eligible to cast a ballot in an election (German: Wählerschaft).

federal elections

National elections in the United States, held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in years divisible by four (German: Wahlen in den Vereinigten Staaten).

Electoral College

The formal body that elects the US president, creating a system where a candidate can win the popular vote yet lose the presidency (German: Wahlausschuss).

to serve as sth

To function as or perform the duties of a particular role (German: als etw. dienen; als etw. fungieren).

to appoint sb

To formally choose someone for a job, position of responsibility, or official function (German: jmdn. ernennen; jmdn. berufen).

court of appeal

A court that reviews judicial rulings when procedural errors or legal mistakes are claimed in lower courts (German: Berufungsgericht; Oberster Gerichtshof).

validity

The state of being legally or constitutionally binding, sound, or acceptable (German: Gültigkeit; Bedeutung).

to veto

The executive power to reject a bill passed by Congress; it can only be overridden if two-thirds of Congress votes to pass it (German: ein Veto einlegen; [ein Gesetz] ablehnen).

to ratify

To make a treaty, amendment, or law official and binding through formal approval, signature, or vote; opposite of to veto/reject (German: ratifizieren; bestätigen).

treaty

A formal international agreement concluded between sovereign states according to international law (German: Staatsvertrag; Abkommen).

commerce (no pl)

Trade and the buying and selling of goods, broadly regulated by Congress under the Constitution's commerce clause (German: Handel).

tax

A compulsory financial contribution imposed by the government to fund public infrastructure and services like schools, police, and firefighters (German: Steuer; Abgabe).

to propose (fml)

To officially put forward or suggest a measure or bill (German: [ein Gesetz] vorschlagen).

to approve

To officially agree to or sign a bill, agreement, loan, or budget into effect (German: [ein Gesetz] annehmen; zustimmen).

to impeach sb

To formally bring legal charges against a high public official, such as the US President, for serious misconduct or crimes while in office (German: jmdn. wegen Amtsvergehen anklagen).