Unit 10 Vocab

impound

refused to release, the funds.

détente

or relaxation of tensions, between the United States and its two major Communist rivals, the Soviet Union and China.

summit

high-level diplomatic meeting,

executive privilege

the principle that White House conversations should remain confidential to protect national security

impeach

officially charge him of presidential misconduct.

inflation

a rise in the cost of goods.

embargo

stop shipping goods to countries that a country is in a disagreement with over policy.

stagflation

a combination of rising prices and economic stagnation.

guru

a spiritual master, teacher, or guide in Indian traditions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, who dispels darkness and brings enlightenment.

transcendental meditation

an effortless, twice-daily technique practiced for 20 minutes with closed eyes, involving the silent repetition of a specific, personalized mantra to achieve a state of "restful alertness".

liberal

liberals believe that the government should regulate the economy to protect people from the power of large corporations and wealthy elites.

conservative

generally have a fundamental distrust of the power of government, particularly the federal government.

televangelist

Television in particular allowed evangelical ministers to reach a large nationwide audience.

supply-side economics

economists believed that high taxes took too much money away from investors. If taxes were cut, businesses and investors could use their extra capital to make new investments, and businesses could expand and create new jobs. The result would be a larger supply of goods for consumers, who would now have more money to spend because the tax cuts.

budget deficit

the amount by which expenditures exceed income.

yuppie

from “young urban professionals.” Many worked in law or finance. They rewarded themselves with luxury goods.

perestroika

“restructuring,” and allowed some private enterprise and profit-making in the Soviet Union.

glasnost

“openness.” It allowed more freedom of religion and speech, allowing people to discuss politics openly in the Soviet Union.

downsizing

laying off workers and managers to become more efficient.

capital gains tax

tax—the tax paid by businesses and investors when they sell stocks or real estate for a profit.

grassroots movement

groups of people organizing at the local level—put

microprocessor

new chips further reduced the size of computers, increased their speed.

software

the instructions used to program computers

telecommute

jobs via computer without having to go to the office.

perjury

to lie while under oath.

ethnic cleansing

cleansing—the brutal expulsion of an ethnic group from a geographic area.

trade deficit

Americans purchased more from foreign nations than American industry and agriculture sold abroad.

nuclear proliferation

or the spread of nuclear weapons to new nations

global warming

an increase in average world temperatures over time.

strategic defense

the effort to develop missiles and other devices that could shoot down nuclear missiles.

terrorism

the use of violence by nongovernmental groups against civilians to achieve a political goal. Terrorist acts are ians to achieve a political goal. Terrorist acts areintended to instill fear in people and to frighten their governments into changing their policies.

state-sponsored terrorism

by providing terrorist groups with money, weapons, and training. When a government secretly supports terrorism,