Social Studies and History Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards defining key historical, civics, and political concepts, including Treaty of Waitangi terminology, systems of government, US Civil Rights, New Zealand immigration history, and South African Apartheid.

kawanatanga

A Māori word translating to 'governorship' or governance, used in the Māori text of Article 1 of the Treaty of Waitangi to describe the authority granted to the British Crown.

rangatiratanga

Chieftainship, sovereignty, or self-determination, guaranteed to Māori chiefs over their lands, villages, and treasures in Article 2 of the Treaty of Waitangi.

pre-emption

The exclusive right of the British Crown, under the Treaty of Waitangi, to purchase land from Māori before anyone else could do so.

taonga

Treasured possessions or properties, both tangible and intangible (such as land, resources, culture, and language), protected under Article 2 of the Treaty of Waitangi.

privileges

Special rights or advantages granted to a person or group, such as the rights and protections of British subjects extended to Māori under Article 3 of the Treaty of Waitangi.

sovereignty

Supreme power, ultimate authority, or the autonomous right of a state or governing body to govern itself.

cede

To formally surrender, give up, or transfer control of power, rights, or territory to another authority.

colonisation

The process by which an external power establishes political control over an Indigenous territory and people, often settling it with its own population.

democracy

A system of government where power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives.

monarchy

A system of government in which supreme power is held by a single hereditary ruler, such as a king or queen.

theocracy

A form of government ruled by religious leaders or guided by religious law and doctrine.

dictatorship

A form of government in which absolute, unrestricted power is held by a single leader or an authoritarian group.

communism

A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society where all major resources and means of production are collectively owned by the community.

republic

A state or country governed by elected representatives and an elected head of state (such as a president) rather than a monarch.

election

A formal, organized process through which eligible citizens vote to choose representatives for public office.

coalition

A temporary alliance of two or more political parties formed to achieve a majority and govern together.

MP

Member of Parliament; an elected representative who sits in parliament to debate, create laws, and represent constituents.

MMP

Mixed Member Proportional; a voting system where voters cast two votes (one for an electorate candidate and one for a political party) to determine representation in parliament.

parliament

The supreme legislative body of a nation responsible for making and amending laws, scrutinizing government actions, and debating public issues.

government

The executive body or system of people authorized to administer laws, direct public policy, and manage the affairs of a state.

US Constitution

The supreme legal document and framework of the United States government, defining the structure of federal power and protecting individual rights.

14th Amendment

An amendment to the US Constitution that granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US and guaranteed all citizens equal protection under the law.

segregation

The enforced separation of racial or ethnic groups in daily activities, public spaces, schools, and facilities.

desegregation

The process of abolishing racial separation and integrating segregated institutions and public facilities.

Jim Crow laws

State and local statutes enacted primarily in the American South that legalized and enforced racial segregation and disenfranchisement against Black Americans.

'separate but equal'

A legal doctrine established by the 1896 US Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson that permitted racial segregation as long as the separate facilities provided were equal.

integration

The practice of bringing together different racial or ethnic groups to ensure equal access and participation in society and institutions.

precedent

A prior legal decision or ruling that serves as an authoritative rule or pattern for resolving future cases with similar facts.

state

A constituent political unit or territory forming part of a federal nation, or an organized political community under one government.

federal

Pertaining to a system of government where power is shared between a central national authority and individual state or regional governments.

Dawn Raids

Early-morning police raids in New Zealand during the mid-1970s that disproportionately targeted Pacific Island migrants suspected of overstaying their visas.

scapegoat

A person or group unfairly singled out and made to bear blame for the problems, economic hardships, or mistakes of others.

overstayer

An individual who remains in a country after their official visa or temporary permit has expired.

deportation

The formal expulsion of an individual from a foreign country by that country's government.

Apartheid

An institutionalized system of racial segregation and white-minority rule enforced in South Africa from 1948 until the early 1990s.

Pass Laws

Internal passport and identification laws under Apartheid designed to strictly regulate and limit the movement and residency of Black South Africans.