Social 30 vocab

ideology

A consistent set of beliefs by groups/individuals

status quo

the existing state of affairs

human nature

the way people are at their core

social contract

agreement by which people give up some freedom to live in a civil society

radical

Favoring drastic political, economic, or social reforms, through violence if necessary

reactionary

Ideological view that favors a return to a previous state of affairs

fascism

an ideology based on authoritarianism and extreme nationalism

private property

property owned by individuals or companies

rule of law

principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

Economic Freedom

The freedom to own property, to make a profit, and to make choices about what to produce, buy, and sell

self-interest

doing what's best for one's own personal gain

public property

resources and products owned by government

collective interest

- The set of goals that members of a group have in common.

norms

progressive taxation

the amount you pay increases as income increases

classical liberal

ideology based mostly on individualism and laissez-faire capitalism

modern liberalism

ideology that brings in some collectivist principles into liberalism

democratic socialist

progressive, left-wing, collectivist, but still within values of liberalism

mercantilism

economic system prior to capitalism, based on increasing wealth of the state

Enlightenment

intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems

Laissez-faire

Idea that government should play as small a role as possible in economic affairs.

proletariat

Marx's word for the working class.

Luddite

a person who is averse to technology or technological progress

Trade Unionist

member of a workers' association, advocate for more workers' rights

Chartist

Reformers who wanted changes like universal male suffrage; the secret ballot; and payment for members of Parliament

Factory Acts

English laws passed from 1802 to 1833 that limited the workday of child laborers and set minimum hygiene and safety requirements

Bolshevik

original name for Communist Party in Russia

Nationalization

Changing something from private to state ownership or control

Quota

a fixed number of products

scarcity

the limited nature of society's resources

capital goods

Buildings, machines, technology, and tools needed to produce goods and services.

means of production

the tools, factories, land, and investment capital used to produce wealth

Privatization

To change from government ownership to private ownership

speculation

the practice of making high-risk investments with borrowed money in hopes of getting a big return

stock market bubble

a sharp rise in stock prices that is later followed by a sudden decline

buying on margin

paying a small percentage of a stock's price as a down payment and borrowing the rest

bank run

widespread panic in which great numbers of people try to redeem their paper money

consumer sovereignty

the idea that buyers hold the power to influence production decisions, based on what goods and services they purchase

profit motive

the incentive that drives individuals and business owners to improve their material well-being

monetary policy

managing the economy by altering the supply of money and interest rates

fiscal policy

managing the economy by controlling taxing and spending.

mixed economy

an economic system combining private and public enterprise.

market economy

capitalist system based on economic freedom and private property

command economy

An economic system in which the government controls a country's economy.

supply

The amount of goods available

demand

the desire to own something and the ability to pay for it

supply and demand

the driving force behind prices and production in a market economy

demand-side economics

the idea that increasing government spending and making tax cuts help an economy

inflation

A general and progressive increase in prices

stagnation

motionlessness; inactivity

stagflation

A period of falling output and rising prices

neoconservative

ideology that emphasizes free-market capitalism, small government and trickle-down economics

supply-side economics

economic philosophy based on the ideas of Hayek and Friedman

trickle-down economics

theory that deregulation and tax cuts for business and the rich will benefit the rest of societ

government intervention

represents the actions taken by government to affect the economy

welfare state

a mixed economy, a government that assumes responsibility for the basic needs of its people

deficit

An excess of federal expenditures over federal revenues.

subprime mortgage

loan to a borrower with a not-so-good credit rating

bailout

an act of giving financial assistance to a failing business or economy to save it from collapse.

authoritarianism

A political system in which an individual or small group of individuals holds most of the power

oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

dictatorship

A government controlled by one person

coup d'etat

A sudden overthrow of the government by a small group

censorship

restricting access to ideas and information

scapegoating

Blaming an innocent person or a group for one's own troubles

cult of personality

the excessive adoration of a single leader.

charismatic

exercising a compelling charm that inspires devotion in others

controlled participation

Forcing the citizens of a nation into rallies and parades to support a regime or to vote in one-sided elections

indoctrination

Teaching someone to accept an idea or principle without question

Kulak

wealthy peasant in the Soviet Union in the 1930s

gulag

Russian prison camp for political prisoners

show trial

court hearings that are staged and meant for propaganda

collectivization

a system in which private farms are eliminated and peasants work land owned by the government

NKVD

Stalin's secret police

Great Purge

A campaign of terror directed at eliminating anyone who threatened Stalin's power

Komsomol

a communist youth organization.

totalitarian

referring to a form of government in which one person or party holds absolute control

hyperinflation

extremely rapid rise in prices

Aryan Race

Hitlers version of the perfect people, "blonde hair and blue eyes"

Fuhrer

Adolf Hitler's title as chancellor and head of state in Germany.

Eugenics

science dealing with improving hereditary qualities

gestapo

Nazi secret police

third reich

German empire established by Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.

reasonable limits

restrictions on rights the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that most people would agree with in a democratic society

freedom of assembly

the right of the people to gather peacefully and to petition government

assimilation

the social process of absorbing one cultural group into another

imposing liberalism

Forcefully making a people adopt a system of liberal democracy

enfranchisement

to admit to citizenship

suffrage

the right to vote

embargo

A ban on trade

humanitarianism

done out of concern and to help people

expansionism

a policy to expand one's sphere of influence

containment

policy of resisting expansionism of rival ideology

brinkmanship

the willingness to go to the edge of war to force an opponent to back down

deterrence

An effort to preserve the status quo through the threat of force

alignment

which side of the Cold War countries were on

proxy war

a conflict in which major powers use third parties as substitutes instead of fighting each other directly

sphere of influence

a country or area in which another country has power to affect developments

détente

A policy of reducing Cold War tensions

liberation movements

Country rebels against the country that oppressed it.