History Vocab: Topic Four

Capitalism

Capitalism

An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Free Enterprise

An economic system where private businesses operate and compete and are largely free of state control.

Socialism

Means of production and business are owned and regulated by a community rather than a single person or government. Goods are distributed to everyone.

Communism

An economic and political system based on a one party government and state ownership of property.

Command Economy

An economy in which production, investment, prices, and incomes are determined centrally by a government.

Tariff

Tariffs give a price advantage to locally-produced goods over similar goods which are imported, and they raise revenues for governments. Put limits on goods from overseas.

Nativism

The policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants.

Chinese Exclusion Act

A law enacted in 1882, that prohibited all chinese, except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and government officials from entering the United States.

Gentlemen’s Agreement

A 1907-1908 agreement between the U.S. and Japanese government to limit japanese immigration to the United States.

Annexation

The action of annexing something, especially territory.: "the annexation of Austria". Seizure

Urbanization

The process of making an area more urban.: "he saw nature being destroyed by urbanization" "public opposition to the urbanization of the countryside".

Americanization Movement

Education programs designed to help immigrants assimilate to American culture.

Tenement

Multi-family urban dwelling, usually overcrowded and unsanitary.

Social mobility

The ability of families or individuals to move to higher social classes.

Social stratification

The organization of people into social classes by wealth.

Political machine

An organized group that controls a political party in a city and offers services to voters and businesses in exchange for political and financial support.

Graft

The illegal use of political influence for personal gain.

Patronage

An officeholder’s power to appoint people. usually those that have helped him or her get elected. to positions in the government.

Civil service

The nonmilitary branches of government administration.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

A law, enacted in 1883, that established a bipartisan civil service commission to make appointments to government jobs by means of merit system.

Pragmatism

A school of philosophical thought developed in the late 19th century that aimed to reconcile the tensions between science and morality and religion.