USA Final

Reserve Currency

A foreign currency held in large quantities by governments and central banks for international transactions and to stabilize their own currencies.

Finance Capitalism

An economic system driven primarily by financial activities such as investment, speculation, and the trading of financial instruments.

Trickle-down Economics

An economic theory asserting that tax cuts for the wealthy will lead to investment and job growth that benefits the broader population.

Glass-Steagall Banking Act (1933)

A U.S. law that separated commercial banks from investment banks to reduce conflicts of interest and financial risk.

Bretton Woods

A 1944 conference that established a new global financial system after World War II, creating the IMF and World Bank.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. initiative providing economic assistance to Western Europe after WWII to prevent the spread of communism.

Soft Power

The ability to influence others through non-coercive means, such as culture, values, and diplomacy.

Neoliberalism

A political-economic philosophy emphasizing free markets, deregulation, and minimal government intervention in the economy.

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

An intergovernmental organization of oil-exporting countries that coordinates and unifies petroleum policies.

H1-B Visa

A U.S. visa program allowing employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations.

Bracero Program

An agreement allowing Mexican laborers to work temporarily in the U.S. from 1942 to 1964, initially to address labor shortages.

Frances Perkins

The first woman U.S. Cabinet member, she shaped New Deal labor reforms as Secretary of Labor.

Delores Huerta

A labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) and advocated for farmworkers' rights.

A. Philip Randolph

A civil rights leader and labor organizer who fought against racial discrimination in employment.

Levittowns

Suburban developments post-WWII known for mass-produced homes and reflecting racial segregation.

The Feminine Mystique

A book by Betty Friedan credited with sparking second-wave feminism in the U.S.

Model Minority

A stereotype portraying Asian Americans as universally successful, often used to downplay racial inequality.

Racial Scripts

A framework explaining how historical ideas about race shape perceptions and treatment of various racial groups.

Equal Rights Amendment

A proposed amendment aiming to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex, introduced in 1923 but never ratified.

Sun Belt

A region in the southern U.S. that experienced rapid growth post-WWII, influenced by climate and job opportunities.

Farm Crisis

An economic crisis in the 1980s affecting U.S. farmers, characterized by falling prices and rising debt.

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

A committee investigating alleged communist influence in the U.S., known for controversial tactics.

GI Bill

A law providing benefits to veterans, facilitating access to education and homeownership.

Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

A civil rights group focused on direct action and grassroots organizing.

Stonewall

A series of demonstrations by the LGBTQ+ community in 1969, marking a turning point in the gay rights movement.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

A protest against segregated buses led by Martin Luther King Jr. following Rosa Parks' arrest.

Pauli Murray

A civil rights activist and legal scholar influential in feminist and racial justice movements.

Watergate

A political scandal culminating in President Nixon's resignation due to illegal activities by his administration.

Henry Kissinger

A U.S. diplomat influential in Cold War foreign policy, including relations with China.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

A tense confrontation over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, almost leading to nuclear war.

Bay of Pigs (1961)

A failed CIA invasion of Cuba aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro.

Kent State

The site of a shooting where National Guard troops killed four college students during a Vietnam War protest.

Battle of Britain

A crucial WWII air campaign defending the UK against the German Luftwaffe.

Battle of the Coral Sea

A WWII naval battle marking the first engagement of aircraft carriers against each other.

Hiroo Onoda

A Japanese soldier who continued fighting WWII until 1974, unaware of Japan's surrender.

Proxy Wars

Conflicts where major powers support opposing sides without direct engagement, such as in Korea and Vietnam.

Total Warfare

A military strategy involving full mobilization and targeting of civilian resources.

Shoah

The Hebrew term for the Holocaust, the genocide of European Jews during WWII.

Bloodlands

Refers to regions in Eastern Europe where millions were killed under Hitler and Stalin.

Afghanistan

A site of multiple international conflicts, including the Soviet invasion and the U.S.-led war post-9/11.

Friedrich Hayek

An economist known for advocating free-market capitalism and criticizing centralized economic planning.

John Maynard Keynes

An economist whose ideas influenced government intervention to stimulate the economy during recessions.

Milton Friedman

An economist advocating for free-market capitalism and limited government intervention in the economy.

Ayn Rand

A philosopher known for Objectivism, emphasizing individualism and capitalism.

Hannah Arendt

A political theorist whose works analyze totalitarianism and the nature of evil.

John Foster Dulles

Secretary of State known for his aggressive Cold War policies.

Ho Chi Minh

A Vietnamese leader fighting for independence and against the U.S. during the Vietnam War.

Satyagraha

Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance to achieve political change.

Peace Corps

A U.S. program sending volunteers abroad for development projects and cultural exchange.

National Review

A conservative magazine influential in shaping conservative thought in the U.S.

Silent Majority

A term for Americans who supported Nixon's policies but did not openly protest the Vietnam War.

Meiji Restoration (1868)

A Japanese political revolution leading to modernization and the end of feudalism.

Executive Order 9066

An order authorizing the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

Nanjing

City where Japanese troops committed mass atrocities in 1937, known as the Nanjing Massacre.

Anti-Semitism

Hostility or discrimination against Jewish people, with a long history.