Social unit 2

Age of Exploration

Period (1400s–1600s) when Europeans explored and colonized new lands.

Age of Reason

Enlightenment era emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights.

autocracy

Government where one ruler holds absolute power.

brinkmanship

Pushing conflict to the edge of war to force concessions.

Chartism

19th-century British movement demanding democratic reforms.

class system

Hierarchy dividing society by wealth or status.

classical conservatism

Ideology valuing tradition, order, religion, and gradual change.

classical liberalism

Supports individual rights, free markets, and limited government.

Cold War

Rivalry between USA and USSR (1947–1991).

collectivization

Forced merging of private farms into state-controlled farms.

Commercial Revolution

Growth of trade and banking before the Industrial Revolution.

consensus

General agreement among people.

containment

US policy to stop the spread of communism.

deficit spending

Government spending more than it earns in revenue.

democratic socialism

Political system combining democracy with strong social programs and some public ownership.

détente

Relaxation of tensions during the Cold War.

deterrence

Preventing attack through threat of retaliation.

Duma

Russian parliament established in 1906.

egalitarianism

Belief in equality of rights and opportunities.

emancipation

Act of freeing people from slavery or restrictions.

enfranchisement

Granting the right to vote.

environmentalism

Movement to protect the natural environment.

expansionism

Policy of expanding a country’s territory or influence.

fascism

Authoritarian ideology based on nationalism and dictatorship.

feminism

Movement advocating equal rights for women.

fiscal policies

Government decisions on taxation and spending.

five year plan

Soviet economic plan with production targets over five years.

Gosplan

Soviet agency responsible for economic planning.

Great Depression

Global economic crisis starting in 1929.

humanism

Renaissance belief emphasizing human value and potential.

imperialism

Policy of extending control over other countries.

indoctrination

Teaching people to accept beliefs without questioning.

Industrial Revolution

Shift from hand production to machine manufacturing.

industrialization

Process of developing industries and factories.

inflation

General rise in prices over time.

interventionism

Government involvement in economy or foreign affairs.

iron curtain

Division between communist Eastern Europe and the West.

Keynesian economics

Idea that government spending can help fix economic downturns.

Kulaks

Wealthier Soviet peasants targeted under Stalin.

labour standards

Rules protecting workers’ rights and conditions.

labour unions

Organizations representing workers.

laissez-faire capitalism

Economic system with minimal government interference.

liberation movements

Groups fighting for independence or freedom.

limited government

Government with restricted powers.

Luddism

Movement opposing machines that threatened jobs.

Magna Carta

1215 document limiting the power of the English king.

Marxism

Theory by Karl Marx based on class struggle and communism.

McCarthyism

Accusing people of communism with little evidence.

mercantilism

Economic system focused on state control of trade and wealth.

Metternich period

Era after Napoleon emphasizing conservatism and order.

militarism

Building up strong military forces aggressively.

mixed economy

Combination of private business and government involvement.

modern liberalism

Supports individual rights plus government social support.

monetarism

Theory that controlling money supply controls the economy.

monetary policies

Central bank actions affecting money and interest rates.

nationalism

Strong pride and loyalty to one’s nation.

Nazism

German fascist ideology under Adolf Hitler.

neo-conservatism

Modern conservatism supporting free markets and strong national defense.

NEP

Lenin’s policy allowing limited private business in Soviet Union.

New Deal

Roosevelt’s programs to fight the Great Depression.

nonalignment

Not siding with either Cold War superpower.

postmodernism

View questioning absolute truth and traditional ideas.

progressivism

Movement supporting social reform and improvement.

protectionism

Protecting domestic industries through tariffs and restrictions.

purges

Removal or execution of political opponents.

Reaganomics

Economic policies of tax cuts and reduced government spending.

recession

Period of economic decline.

Reformation

Religious movement challenging the Catholic Church.

Renaissance

Period of renewed art, science, and learning in Europe.

republic

Government where citizens elect representatives.

Russian Revolution

1917 revolution that brought communists to power in Russia.

safety net

Government programs supporting people in need.

salons

Gatherings where Enlightenment ideas were discussed.

scapegoat

Person or group blamed unfairly for problems.

socialism

System where government owns or controls major industries.

spheres of influence

Areas dominated by a foreign power.

square deal

Program by Theodore Roosevelt promoting fairness.

suffragist

Person advocating for voting rights.

superpowers

Nations with dominant global influence.

Thatcherism

Policies of privatization and free markets in Britain.

totalitarianism

System where government controls all aspects of life.

Treaty of Versailles

1919 treaty ending WWI and punishing Germany.

Ukraine Famine

1932–33 famine in Soviet Ukraine linked to collectivization.

universal suffrage

Right for all adults to vote.

utopian socialism

Early socialism based on ideal cooperative societies.

war communism

Lenin’s wartime economic system of total state control.

welfare capitalism

Capitalism with social welfare protections.