WHAP SUMMER VOCAB- DAY1

  1. Urbanization- a large movement of people from rural areas into cities (which in turn, expands the city)

  2. Tribute- a gift often to show respect (like offerings to Gods)

  3. Theocracy- a system of government where the priest rules as a speaker for the god

  4. Syncretism- where different schools of religion and thought are combined/ or attempted to be unified (ex. Hellenism) 

  5. Stratification- arranging something into different groups (like writing DBQs)

  6. Sphere of influence- a political area where one dominant party exerts control over another area to influence(shape) their economic, political, and/or military decisions (like parents influencing their children)

  7. Sovereignty- supreme power and control of a state over another state or its territory

  8. Socialism- a social organization which gives the community the power to regulate production, distribution, and exchange 

  9. Sedentary- seated or inactive (of a person)

  10. Secular- nonreligious, to describe something that has nothing to do with religion (adj.)

  11. Sect- a group of people with different religious beliefs than the larger group they belong to 

  12. Subjective- Something that is influenced by personal opinions, feelings, and/or tastes



  1. Regime- a system of government, rule, or management// an organised system

  2. Radical- new, thorough, extreme

  3. Propaganda- deliberate spreading of information or misinformation to influence public opinion

  4. Power Vacuum- when a leader’s government loses power, and no other leader takes its place

  5. Periphery- outside boundaries or surface of something 

  6. Patriarchy- a society that is controlled, led, and focused on men

  7. Pastoralism- a lifestyle focused on raising herd animals

  8. Objective (as in the opposite of subjective)- a fact; proven with data without emotions involved

  9. Orthodox- following the traditional or widely accepted beliefs

  10. Oligarchy- government system which is led by a small, wealthy group of people

  11. Nationalization- a process where the government turns private-owned businesses into public ones

  12. Nationalism- a political idea one nation or nationality is above all others



  1. Liberal-belief in the value of social and political change to progress

  2. Legitimacy- the quality or state of being with the laws/rules

  3. Isolationism- a policy which abandons all international allegiances and relationships

  4. Infrastructure- the basic buildings and equipment needed for a country, region. or organization to function

  5. Inflation- an increase in prices generally due to the increase in the volume of money

  6. Ideology- a way of a certain group/culture/individual thinks

  7. Humanism- devotion to the human qualities of being generous and empathetic: literary OR a revival of the classics and an emphasis on secular characteristics

  8. Hierarchy- the classification of a group of people whether in terms of social, economic, or professional standing

  9. Heresy- a belief in a religious opinion that contradicts the church’s beliefs on the same topic

  10. Hegemony- a strong influence or authority over others

  11. Gentry- the upper or ruling class

  12. Fundamentalism- a movement in the 20th century which emphasized using the Bible to learn the fundamentals of Christianity



  1. Figurehead- a leader but only by name but with no actual authority or power

  2. Extrapolate - to predict something by using past data/information/experience

  3. Evangelical- relating to and/or agreeing with the Christian gospel, especially its four books

  4. Ethnocentrism- the idea that one’s own  ethnic group is better/superior than all the others

  5. Ethnicity - a particular affiliation with a common racial, national, tribal, cultural origin/background

  6. Entrepreneur - an organizer of a business venture

  7. Dynasty- a succession line of rulers that come from the same line of descendants

  8. Duality - the quality or state of having two different or opposite parts

  9. Domestication- the act or process of adapting an animal or plant from one wild state to another through selective breeding to the benefit of humans

  10. (the) Diaspora -Jews living outside Israel

  11. Demographic- statistical data/information on humans used especially to identify markets

  12. Decentralized- an activity or organization controlled by multiple branches/offices/authorities instead of a single power



  1. Cultural diffusion- the process where knowledge, innovation, language, or cultural characteristics are spread between communities and cultures

  2. Cultural construct- social and/or historical ideas that shape how individuals perceive the world, influencing norms, expectations, values, beliefs

  3. Coup d’etat - a sudden use of force in politics (violent overthrows of gov. by a small group)

  4. Continuity- uninterrupted connection, succession, or union

  5. Context- parts of a discourse around a word, phrase, or text used to explain its meaning

  6. Conservative- a philosophy which aims to preserve what has already been traditionally established in politics and society

  7. Coerce- to compel to an act or choice

  8. Centralized- to concentrate by pacing power in a central government or organization

  9. Causality- the relationship between something that happens or exists and the thing that caused it

  10. Capitalism- an economic system where there are corporate or private ownership in capital goods by competition in a free market

  11. Bureaucracy- a body of unelected officials



  1. Bias - a personal inclination of outlook

  2. Autonomy- the right or condition of self- government

  3. Autocracy- where one person rules in a government system

  4. Assimilate- take in (information) and understand fully

  5. Aristocracy- the highest class in certain societies, especially those with inherited tiles or offices

  6. Anti-semitism- hostility or prejudice against Jewish people

  7. Anachronism- an error in chronology, especially misplacings of events, persons, or customs in regards to each other

  8. Agrarian- relating to cultivated land or the cultivation land

  9. Absolutism- a political theory that absolute power should be vested in one or more rulers

  10. Xenophobia - a fear and hatred of anything that is foreign or strange