APWH Buzzwords

Words commonly found on the AP exam.

Historical development

Historical development

changes in history (they can be single events, like a battle or war, or longer processes over time, like the civil rights movement or the Enlightenment)

State

a country, nation, or any centralized political organization or government that rules over a population

Statebuilding or state formation

the process of creating and maintaining institutions needed for the social, political, and economic development of a state

Institutions

an organization or establishment founded to promote a specific cause or structure political, social, and/or economic interactions (ex

Bureaucracy

a government or administration managed by officials (usually divided into various departments or agencies)

Bureaucratic elites

the governing class (ex

Tribute state

a state that is subordinate to another more powerful (dominant) state. The subordinate recognizes the superiority of the dominant power by sending tribute (payment or gifts)

Commercial practices

something used to facilitate business or trade (commerce)-ex

Commercial technology

an innovation used to facilitate business or trade (commerce)-ex

Non-state entity

an organization not connected to a government (non-profits, corporations, religious groups, paramilitary or terrorist groups, etc)

Continuity

something that stays constant or more or less the same over time

Decentralized

when the activities/decision-making of an organization (like a central government) are delegated to smaller or regional groups (like local governments)

Centralized

when the activities/decision-making of an organization (like a central government) are concentrated within a single group

Interregional trade

trade between regions of a country

Intraregional trade

trade within a certain region (ex

Imperial states/imperial rule

an empire/rule by an empire

Diasporic community

a large group of people who share a cultural and regional origin but are living away from their traditional homeland

Indigenous

native to a particular place

Diffusion

the spread of something more widespread (ex

Liberalism

a philosophy based on the rights of individuals, liberty, consent of the governed, and political and legal equality (not the same as the term “liberals” as used in politics today)

Conservatism

a philosophy promoting traditional practices or values (often trying to maintain the “status quo” in the face of change/reform)-again, not the same as the term “conservatives” as used in politics today

Established power

the dominant authority with power over others (could be an individual or a group/government)

Trading post (sometimes called a factory)

a settlement established where trade took place

Mercantile

related to trade/commerce

Imports

goods bought from another country

Export

goods sold to another country

Mercantilist policies

policies that use government intervention to restrict imports, usually using tariffs (taxes on imports), and to promote exports (usually by creating colonies where goods can be sold)

Syncretism

the blending or combination of different cultures or ideas (ex

Suppress

to put down or restrain

Mitigate

to reduce or alleviate

Context

the surrounding circumstances or developments of an event or idea that allow one to better understand that event or idea (the background information)

Allude

to imply, suggest, or hint at

Economic elites

the individuals or groups controlling wealth and/or resources

Socialism

a system in which the government or public owns and controls the means of production (such as resources, factories, land, etc) rather than private businesses or individuals; usually within a democratic government

Nationalize

to transfer an industry (like oil, railroads, steel, etc) from private ownership to state ownership

Communism (sometimes called Marxism)

an ideology advocating a revolution to create a classless society in which all property is publicly/communally owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. In reality, communist states often become authoritarian states in which the government (ruled by a communist party) controls the economy.

Free market (capitalism)

an economic system with little regulation (few or no tariffs, taxes, quotas, etc)

Economic liberalization (aka neoliberalism)

the reduction of government regulation or interference in the economy advocates free market principles like free trade and economic competition

Reactionary

opposition to change/reform; a desire to return to the status quo

Ethnic enclave

a community with a high concentration of a particular ethnic group distinct from the majority ethnic group (ex

Nationalism

an ideology emphasizing loyalty and devotion to one’s own country (nation), often over other individual or group interests

Suffrage

the right to vote (also called the franchise)

Ideology

a system of ideas or ideals that shape political or economic policy (ex

Specialization of labor (division of labor)

organizing workers with given set tasks that they repeat to produce goods, rather than completing multiple tasks (ex

Manufactures

finished goods (sometimes called wares)

industrial capitalism

the formation of corporate factories for mass production using division of labor

Free labor

paid labor aka wage labor (not free as in unpaid; free as in they are not enslaved)

Global balance of power

when power is balanced among nations/states to prevent aggression; nations often work to prevent one nation/group of nations from becoming dominant over all the others

Hegemony

the dominance of one state over others (can be political, economic, even cultural)

Despot

someone who rules with absolute power, usually in an oppressive or authoritarian way (similar terms

Tyranny

cruel and oppressive rule/government (similar terms

Demographic

characteristics/information relating to a population (age, ethnicity, gender, etc)

Feudal

the political and social structure of Europe in the Middle Ages holding land in return for service or labor); can also be used to describe something as outdated

Plurality

a large number of different things, or a majority

Cosmopolitan

having a more global or diverse outlook, diverse

Secular

worldly, non-religious

Subvert

to undermine an established power or authority (similar terms

Socio-economic

the interaction of social and economic factors; how social and economic factors impact one another

Sedentary

a settled lifestyle (as opposed to nomadic)

Monopoly

when someone/something (like a company or government) has exclusive control over a commodity (ex

Subsistence agriculture

all or most of the crops/livestock are used to feed/maintain the farmer and family, leaving little left over to sell as surplus (as opposed to farming cash crops)

Status quo

the existing state of affairs

Stratification (social)

arranging or classifying people/groups into a hierarchy

Urban

relating to the city

Rural

relating to the countryside

Province

a territory or region of an empire/state (similar term

Sino

Chinese or relating to China

Sovereignty

self-rule/self-governance (similar terms sovereign- a ruler)

Self-determination

the ability of a state to determine and manage its own government

Liberal democracy

a representative government with separation of powers and checks and balances

Republic

a state in which the people express their power through elected representatives (the US has a republican form of government; has nothing to do with the Republican Party)

Geopolitics

how countries, organizations, individuals, etc try to achieve political goals or assert power by controlling geographic features (regions, territories, resources, networks, etc)-very similar to international relations

Domestic

occurring or existing inside a country/state (ex: US domestic policy refers to policies/decisions relating to issues within the US)