AP World History: Unit 8 Vocab

activism

the belief in or practice of trying to make social or political changes through active, sometimes militant, involvement, especially in particular issues

apartheid

a policy of racial segregation, especially the segregation of Blacks and Whites and the discrimination against Blacks in the Republic of South Africa

authoritarianism

a system of ruling that advocates for complete obedience or subjection to authority, especially political authority, without concern for individual rights

balance of power

in international politics, the distribution of power or influence among nations so that one nation cannot threaten the interests of others

boycott

the refusal to purchase certain types of goods, refusal to engage in commercial relations with a particular entity

cold war

political, ideological, and military rivalry between nations that often does not include full-scale war but may include wars in satellite or peripheral regions

containment

a government policy, enacted in a variety of ways, that is intended to curb the territorial growth, economic expansion, or ideological influence of a hostile nation, usually in reference to the American policy of containing communism during the Cold War

coup

the sudden and forceful attempt of a group, especially of military or other government personnel, to seize state power

decolonization

the process or act of freeing a colony or eliminating colonialism

dependency

the condition of relying on another for help or support

dissident

one who disagrees with, dissents from, or opposes (the opinions or doctrines of others or the authority of some group or institution)

ideological

of or concerning basic beliefs, concepts, and social and political aims of an individual, group, or institution

intervention

the act of entering a situation so as to change what is happening by one nation in the affairs of another, as with military force

minority

a group that differs in race, ethnic background, religion, or political ideas from the majority of people in a society

nationalize

to bring under government ownership or control

nonaligned

not considered an ally of another nation, especially in reference to the Cold War and refusing to align with either the United States or Soviet Union

nonviolence

the policy or practice of refusing to use violent means to pursue political or social aims

nonviolent noncooperation

a form of resistance that refuses to comply with particular orders and laws but does not resort to the use of violence

partition

the political division of a nation into two or more separate nations

proliferation

the act or process of spreading quickly

protest

a gesture or formal action by a person or especially a group as a public display of objection or dissent

proxy war

a war or armed conflict fought between two states that each represent or are backed by a larger power that is not directly involved in the conflict

redistribute

to distribute (spread over an area) again, often in different ways or amounts

resettlement

the movement or relocation of people from one place to another

sabotage

to damage something with the intent (often political) of causing harm to processes or structures

sphere of influence

a country or region that another country has informal power over but no formal authority

superpower

a country with great international power and influence, especially one that dominates the affairs of other countries

union

an organization of laborers