WHAP Foundational Vocab Quiz

assimilation

Merging of cultural traits from previously distinct cultural groups; to adopt the ways of another culture.

artisans

A person skilled in a particular craft; one who uses traditional methods to create items.

autonomous

Self-governing; independent; subject to its own laws.

bureaucracy

A system of departments and agencies formed to carry out the work of government.

centralization

The concentration of administrative power in a central government or authority.

circa

About; especially used in approximate dates.

codify

To catalogue or organize a set of laws, rules, etc. to a specific code.

commodity

An article of trade or commerce, especially a product as distinguished from a service.

consolidation

A monarch's attempt to streamline and centralize the government.

cultural diffusion

The spreading of ideas or products from one culture to another.

culture

A people's unique way of life, as shown by its tools, customs, arts, and ideas.

decentralization

To reorganize a government or industry into smaller, more autonomous units.

deforestation

The clearing of trees, transforming a forest into cleared land.

democracy

A form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people.

demography

The study of the size, growth, density, and other characteristics of human populations.

desertification

The process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought or deforestation.

diaspora

Any group that has been dispersed outside of its traditional homeland.

doctrine

A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a religion or a government.

egalitarian

Characterized by belief in the equality of all people, especially in political, economic, or social life.

elite

A group of persons exercising the major share of authority or influence within a larger group.

empire

A political construct in which one state dominates over another state or a series of states.

epidemic

Outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and affects many people at the same time.

gender

Sexual identity, especially in relation to society or culture.

ideology

The doctrine, myth, belief, etc. that guides an individual, social movement, or large group.

Imperialism

The practice of a nation forcefully imposing its rule or authority over other nations.

indigenous

Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place.

infrastructure

The basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.

interregional

Of, involving, or connecting two or more regions.

intraregional

Within a region.

legitimacy

To rule by the principle of hereditary or sanctioned right.

monarchy

Supreme power held by one person and passed on through family heirs.

nation-state

A sovereign state inhabited by a relatively homogeneous group of people.

religion

Belief system that holds that divine powers control the environment and people's
futures.

republic

A state where the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to select representatives to represent them.

sedentary

Settled, not migratory.

social hierarchy/class

Referring to the hierarchical arrangement of individuals into divisions of power and wealth within a society.

state

A politically unified people occupying a definite territory; nation; or territories) of a government.

static

Showing little change characterized by little movement or progression.

syncretism

Combination of different cultures (religion, art, etc.) resulting in a unique culture.

transregional

The exchange of goods, services, culture, and traditions across political or geographic boundaries.

tributary state

A state that is subordinate to a more powerful neighbor.