Social Studies Vocabulary Review

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering political, economic, social, cultural, and historical terms as outlined in the study guide.

proclamation

an official announcement or publicly declared order.

confederacy

an organization that consists of a number of parties or groups united in an alliance or league

feudal

the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and the peasants (serfs) lived on their lord's land and gave him service, labor, and a share of the produce in exchange for military protection.

embargo

an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country.

boycott

withdraw from commercial or social relations with (a country, organization, or person) as a punishment or protest.

laissez faire

a political/economic system where there is no regulation of the economy. "Hands-off"

amendment

changes in, or additions to, a constitution

coup d'etat

the sudden overthrow of a government by usually a small group of persons in or previously in positions of authority

domestic policy

dealing with the issues of one's own country; at home

foreign policy

how countries choose to interact with other nations; for trade, security, and diplomacy

political party

A supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.

democracy

a form of government where citizens vote for leaders to represent their interests.

guerilla warfare

form of unconventional warfare in which a small group of combatants such as armed civilians use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics, and mobility to fight a larger and less-mobile traditional military.

populism

a political program or style focused on the common people, attacking perspectives and policies associated with the wealthy or powerful.

colonialism

the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically

imperialism

a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force for economic or strategic purposes.

isolationism

a policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups, especially the political affairs of other countries

nationalism

strong devotion and loyalty to one's country or nation, often prioritizing their needs over other nations

import

goods and services that consumers in one country buy from producers in another country.

export

goods or services produced in one nation but sold to buyers in another nation

tariff

tax on foreign goods brought into a country to encourage the sale of domestic rather than foreign products.

subsidies

a payment made by a government to an individual or business to encourage some agricultural or manufacturing activity.

capitalism/free market economy

an economy in which private property ownership exists; individuals and companies are allowed to compete for their own economic gain; and individuals in the free market forces determine the prices of goods and services in the marketplace.

communism

economic/political systems theorized by Karl Marx in which the means of producing goods are owned by the community or the government rather than by private individuals with all people sharing in the work and the goods produced.

corporation

an organization of people bound together to share the risks and profits of a business venture

factors of production

resources used by businesses to produce goods and services; natural resources, human capital, capital and entrepreneurship.

speculation/speculator

investment in stocks, property, or other ventures in the hope of gain but with the risk of loss

monopoly

when a company eliminates competition through the exclusive possession and control of the supply or trade in a commodity or service.

social structure/hierarchy/stratification

the organization of society members where status, power, and money creates divisions and impacts behaviors.

culture

the values, beliefs and perceptions of the world that are learned and are shared by members of a community or society, and which they use to interpret experience and to generate behavior, and that are reflected in their own behavior.

cultural geography

the study of how people use space and interact with their environment

cultural diffusion

the spread of linguistic or cultural practices or innovations (including ideas and beliefs) within a culture or from one culture to another

assimilation

the process by which a person or a group's culture is lost or changed in order to adapt to the culture of another group.

bigotry

intolerance and prejudice; obstinate and unreasoning attachment to one's own belief and opinions, with narrow-minded intolerance of beliefs opposed to them

ethnocentrism/Eurocentrism

looking at the world from the perspective of one's own culture; the attitude or belief that the ways of one's own culture are the best or only proper ones. Other ways are therefore judged wrong or immoral, not simply different.

fundamentalism

strict and literal adherence to a set of basic principles and specific beliefs. Although many, if not most forms of fundamentalism are religious, by no means are all religious people fundamentalists.

race

an attempt to group people into categories of common genetics or heritage. However, research supports that societies have a greater impact in defining these categories than biology.

segregation

The policy or practice of separating people of different races, classes, or ethnic groups, as in schools, housing, and public or commercial facilities, especially as a form of discrimination

disenfranchised

deprived of the rights of citizenship especially the right to vote

agency

having control over one's actions or future

primary source

original document or artifact that is direct evidence of historical events (e.g., letters, diaries, maps, drawings, laws, statutes, clothing, newspaper articles).

secondary source

summaries and interpretations of original artifacts.