The changing political environment in the USA

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  • Created by: acmrevish
  • Created on: 28-01-17 14:17
WASP
White Anglo Saxon Protestant
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Communist
Political ideas of thinkers such as Karl Marx who want an revolution of the workers to overthrow a capitalist society based on individual wealth
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Totalitarian
A system of government where the government, seldom fairly elected, demands total obedience to the state
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Cold War
A time when two hostile sides try to defeat each other by political propaganda, economic restrictions and agreements, and military intervention in other wars, but not direct contact between the countries concerned.
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Republicans
The Republican Party came to be associated with the ideas of minimal government intervention in business and daily life, low taxes and conservative social policies. Not all Republicans always followed these ideas
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Democrats
The Democratic Party was associated with the ideas of civil rights (with a significant number of exceptions in the South), unions in the workforce and progressive reform. After 1930's also associated with government intervention in welfare.
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Separation of powers
Laws were made by a legislative group (Congress), carried out by an executive group (the president) and enforced by a judicial group (the Supreme Court). Each group could curb the actions of the others, making sure that no one had all the power.
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Congress
The law making body of the USA. It has two elected bodies, the Senate and the House of Representatives, that both have to agree on laws before they become active. The president can veto any laws agreed by Congress.
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Tariffs
Taxes put on goods going into, or out of, a country, to encourage or discourage trading abroad
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The League of Nations
Organisation formed at the end of the First World War, set up for international co-operation and to help its member states settle its disputes peacefully. Member states had to agree not to go to war over issues, but to resolve them with the League.
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The Great Depression
The economic collapse that hit the USA in 1929
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Hire purchase
Buying goods on credit: taking them at once but paying for them in regular instalments over a set period of time.
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American Civil War, 1861-65
Fought between the Northern states (Yankees) and the Southern States (Rebs) over the issues of slavery and whether to become one nation or continue as separate. The Yankees wanted to stay separate and continue slavery.
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Laissez-faire
French for 'leave well alone', this policy meant minimal government interference - for example, not regulating businesses and not providing welfare for the poor.
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Anarchist
A person who believes in overthrowing established governments and letting people run their own lives without a formal government.
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Ku Klux Klan
A white supremacist organisation, suppressed in the 1870's and refounded in 1915, that was racist, anti-communist, and anti-immigrant.
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Wall Street Crash
When the US stock market crashed, sending the USA, then many other countries, into the Great Depression..
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The National Recovery Administration (NRA)
The NRA made many businessmen furious. It did what the previous presidents, Republicans, had directly avoided - it told businessmen what to do.
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Inaugural speech
The first speech made by an incoming president. The president is expected to outline the broad policy he hopes to follow while in office.
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Korean War 1950-53
A war that began when North Korea (supplied and advised by the USSR) invaded South Korea. The USA aided the South Koreans and communist China joined on the side of the North Koreans.
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HUAC
House Un-American Activities Committee, set up in 1938, made permanent in 1945, investigated people for all 'un-American' activities, but focused on 'communists'
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Deep South
Mostly seen as the parts of the South given over to cotton plantations and so heavily dependent on slave labour before the American Civil War (1861-65); Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee.
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Positive discrimination
Preferential treatment in employment, social welfare or other areas of life, given to minority groups that have suffered from discrimination in order to redress inequality.
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The Vietnam War (1954-75)
A war between the communist North Vietnam (supported by the USSR and communist China) and its non-communist neighbour, South Vietnam (supported
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Deep South
Parts of the South mainly given over to cotton plantations and so heavily dependent on slave labour before the American Civil War of 1861-65: Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and parts of Texas and Arkansas.
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The UN
The United Nations, formed at the end of the Second World War. Member states of the UN agreed to solve any disputes peacefully with, if needed, help from the UN to resolve problems. The UN also had the power to call an army to intervene in disputes.
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GNP
Gross National Product: the value of all the goods and services produced by the people in a country in a year, plus income from abroad.
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Gooks
A word used to describe someone of South East Asian descent.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Political ideas of thinkers such as Karl Marx who want an revolution of the workers to overthrow a capitalist society based on individual wealth

Back

Communist

Card 3

Front

A system of government where the government, seldom fairly elected, demands total obedience to the state

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

A time when two hostile sides try to defeat each other by political propaganda, economic restrictions and agreements, and military intervention in other wars, but not direct contact between the countries concerned.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

The Republican Party came to be associated with the ideas of minimal government intervention in business and daily life, low taxes and conservative social policies. Not all Republicans always followed these ideas

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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