Unit 1 United States Involvement at Home and Abroad
acquisition
Anything gained or acquired.
antitrust
Against a permanent combination of businesses, now illegal, for the purpose of controlling the production or price of some good.
armament
The act of arming or equipping for war.
chancellor
In Germany and other European countries, a chief minister of state.
collective bargaining
Negotiation between organized workers and employers on wages, hours, conditions, and benefits.
conscription
The enrollment of individuals for military or naval service; a draft.
consolidation
The merging of businesses into one large organization.
corollary
A proposition following so obviously from another that it requires little or no proof; a natural consequence of an existing policy.
entente
A mutual agreement, or the parties entering a mutual agreement.
imperialism
Colonization of smaller countries by industrial nations for raw materials.
internal combustion
A heat engine in which the fuel burns inside the engine itself.
isolationism
A policy of noninvolvement in world affairs.
militarism
A national policy that promotes a powerful military position, a large standing army, and constant preparation for war.
monopoly
The exclusive control of a commodity or production by a business.
nationalism
The loyalty and devotion of a people toward their country.
protectorate
A relation of protection and partial control by a strong nation over a weaker power.
standardized parts
Uniform parts that can be substituted interchangeably.
urbanization
The mass movement of rural people to the urban areas of the country.
Unit 2 The search for Peace
apropos
Suited to the time, place, or occasion.
armistice
A temporary end of hostilities by mutual agreement; a truce.
bootlegging
Making or selling liquor illegally.
collective bargaining
Negotiation between organized workers and employers on wages, hours, conditions, and benefits.
disarmament
The elimination or limitation of armed forces, military equipment, or weapons of war.
foreclosure
The act of taking away a mortgage.
hedonistic
The pursuit of pleasure as the chief activity of life.
internationalism
The thinking that a nation should be actively involved in world affairs.
isolationism
The thinking that opposes a nation's involvement in political or military affairs outside its hemisphere.
progressivism
The promotion of new and more liberal ideas and changes.
Prohibition
The movement banning the buying and selling of liquor.
reparations
Money paid by the defeated countries for acts of war.
sharecropper
A tenant farmer who pays a share of his crop as rent for his land.
speculative
Given to theorizing or taking a chance.
stalemate
A deadlock or tie.
urbanization
The mass movement of rural people to the urban areas of the country.
vengeance
An act of revenge for a wrong or injury.
Unit 3 A Nation at War
amphibious
Debarking from ship to land.
armada
A fleet of ships or large force of moving things.
chancellor
In Germany and other European countries, a chief minister of state.
dictator
One ruling absolutely and often oppressively.
fascism
A political philosophy supporting an autocratic government headed by a dictator.
fiasco
A complete or humiliating failure.
Fuhrer
A title applied to Hitler by his followers.
garrison
A place where a military force is stationed for defense.
guerrilla
Irregular fighting forces often operating at the rear of the enemy and using unconventional tactics.
infiltration
Penetration for the purpose of subversive activity.
Kuomintang
The Chinese Nationalist Party led by Chiang Kai-shek.
mobilize
To assemble and prepare for war or combat.
pacifist
One who opposes military ideals, war, or military preparedness, and instead seeks settlement of disputes by negotiation.
premier
Chief minister of state.
ratified
Make valid by approving; confirmed.
rehabilitation
The act of restoring to a state of health and useful activity through training, therapy, and guidance.
reprisal
The application of force by one nation against another in retaliation for acts committed.
Vietnamization
The gradual transfer of fighting in Vietnam from United States soldiers to South Vietnamese troops.
Unit 4 Contemporary United States
al Qaeda
An international terrorist group, dedicated to opposing non-Islamic governments with force and violence. Literally, an Arabic term meaning "the base."
assets
Property of a person or business.
balm
To act in a quieting manner.
busing
A corrective action in the struggle for equality of opportunity in American schools.
civil rights
Rights guaranteed by the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution and certain acts of Congress.
Cold War
Sharp diplomatic conflict potentially leading to war.
command module
The module that controls space flight.
containment
The act of keeping Communism from spreading.
cosmonaut
A Russian trained to make space flights.
cruise missile
A long range, jet propelled, winged bomb.
deficit
The excess of what is owed over available funds.
detente
Lessening of hostilities and tensions between nations.
diplomacy
Art of managing international negotiations.
draft
To choose for compulsory military service.
electorate
Those qualified to vote in an election.
free trade
Trade carried on without governmental control.
impeach
To formally accuse or charge a public official of serious misconduct.
inflation
A sharp or sudden rise in prices resulting from too great expansion in paper money or bank credit.
intellectual property
The right of ownership belonging to the person who produced the idea.
lunar landing module
The module that disconnects from the command module before landing on the moon.
mujahedeen
Opposition groups that fought against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan between 1979 and 1989. They also fought in the Afghan civil war after 1989. Literally, an Arabic term meaning "holy warriors."
Politburo
The leading committee of the Communist party in the USSR responsible for policy.
quarantine
Imposed isolation or restriction.
segregation
Separated from the majority as in racial segregation.
subpoena
A legal document requiring one to appear in court.
Taliban
The reigning political power in Afghanistan from late 1996 to late 2001. The Taliban was recognized by only three other countries as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Literally, an Arabic term meaning "searchers" or "seekers." In Islamic terminology, it means "students of Islamic knowledge."