A
anarchy
1. a : absence of government; b : a state of lawlessness or political disorder due to the absence of governmental authority; c : a utopian society of individuals who enjoy complete freedom without government; 2. a : absence or denial of any authority or established order; b : absence of order;
B
C
capitalism
an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market;
citizen
1. an inhabitant of a city or town; especially; one entitled to the rights and privileges of a free man; 2. a : a member of a state; b : a native or naturalized person who owes allegiance to a government and is entitled to protection from it; 3. a civilian as distinguished from a specialized servant of the state;
communism
1. a : a theory advocating elimination of private property; b : a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed;
conservative/conservatism
1. preservative; 2. a : of or relating to a philosophy of conservatism; b : capitalized; of or constituting a political party professing the principles of conservatism: as (1) : of or constituting a party of the United Kingdom advocating support of established institutions; 3. a : disposition in politics to preserve what is established; b : a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change; specifically : such a philosophy calling for lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, a strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs;
D
democracy
1. a : government by the people; especially : rule of the majority; b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections; 2. a political unit that has a democratic government; 3. the common people especially when constituting the source of political authority; 4. the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges;
E
F
free
1. a : having the legal and political rights of a citizen; b : enjoying civil and political liberty <free citizens>; c : enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination; d : enjoying personal freedom : not subject to the control or domination of another; 2. a : not determined by anything beyond its own nature of being : choosing or capable of choosing for itself; b : determined by the choice of the actor or performer <free actions>; c : made, done, or given voluntarily or spontaneously;
freedom
1. the quality or state of being free: as a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action; b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence; c : the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous <freedom from care>; d : ease, facility <spoke the language with freedom>; e : the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken <answered with freedom>; f : improper familiarity; g : boldness of conception or execution; h : unrestricted use <gave him the freedom of their home>; 2. a : a political right;
G
generation
1. a : a body of living beings constituting a single step in the line of descent from an ancestor; b : a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously; c : a group of individuals having contemporaneously a status (as that of students in a school) which each one holds only for a limited period; d : a type or class of objects usually developed from an earlier type <first of the...new generation of powerful supersonic fighters - Kenneth Koyen>; 2. a : the average span of time between the birth of parents and that of their offspring;
Generation X
the generation of Americans born in the 1960s and 1970s.
guideline
a line by which one is guided: as - a : a cord or rope to aid a passer over a difficult point or to permit retracing a course; b : an indication or outline of policy or conduct;
H
I
ideology
1. the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group; 2. such a body of doctrine, myth, etc., with reference to some political and social plan, as that of fascism, along with the devices for putting it into operation; 3. a system of beliefs or theories, usually political, held by an individual or a group; Capitalism, Communism, and Socialism are usually called ideologies;
indoctrination
1. to instruct especially in fundamentals or rudiments : teach; 2. to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle;
J
K
L
law
1. a (1) : a binding custom or practice of a community : a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority; (2) : the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules; (3) : COMMON LAW; b (1) : the control brought about by the existence or enforcement of such law (2) : the action of laws considered as a means of redressing wrongs; also : LITIGATION; (3) : the agency of or an agent of established law; c : a rule or order that it is advisable or obligatory to observe; d : something compatible with or enforceable by established law; e : CONTROL, AUTHORITY; 2. a : often capitalized : the revelation of the will of God set forth in the Old Testament; b : capitalized : the first part of the Jewish scriptures : PENTATEUCH, TORAH, - see BIBLE TABLE; 3. a rule of construction or procedure <the laws of poetry>; 4. the whole body of laws relating to one subject; 5. a : the legal profession; b : law as a department of knowledge : JURISPRUDENCE; c : legal knowledge; 6. a : a statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions; b : a general relation proved or assumed to hold between mathematical or logical expressions - at law : under or within the provisions of the law <enforceable at law>; synonyms - LAW, RULE, REGULATION, PRECEPT, STATUTE, ORDINANCE, CANON - mean a principle governing action or procedure. LAW implies imposition by a sovereign authority and the oblication of obedience on the part of all subject to that authority <obey the law>. RULE applies to more restricted or specific situations <the rules of the game>. REGULATION implies prescription by authority in order to control an organization or system <regulations affecting nuclear power plants>. PRECEPT commonly suggests something advisory and not obligatory communicated typically through teaching <the precepts of effective writing>. STATUTE implies a law enacted by a legislative body <a statute requiring the use of seat belts>. ORDINANCE applies to an order governing some detail of procedure or conduct enforced by a limited authority such as a municipality <a city ordinance>. CANON suggests in non-religious use a principle or rule of behavior or procedure commonly accepted as a valid guide <the canons of good taste>.
Liberal/Liberalism
1. a : of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts <liberal education>; b : archaic : of or befitting a man of free birth; 2. a : marked by generosity : open-handed <a liberal giver>; b : given or provided in a generous and open-handed way <a liberal meal>; c : ample, full; 3. a : of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism; b : capitalized : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism; especially : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objective; 4. the quality or state of being liberal; 5. a : often capitalized : a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard; b : a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties; specifically : such a philosophy that considers government as a crucial instrument for amelioration of social inequities (as those involving race, gender, or class); c : capitalized : the principles and policies of a Liberal Party.
liberty
1. the quality or state of being free: a : the power to do as one pleases; b : freedom from physical restraint; c : freedom from arbitrary or despotic control; d : the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges; e : the power of choice;
M
Marxism
the political, economic, and social principles and policies advocated by Karl Marx; especially : a theory and practice of socialism including the labor theory of value, dialectical materialism, the class struggle, and dictatorship of the proletariat until the establishment of a classless society;
N
Nazism
the body of political and economic doctrines held and put into effect by the Nazis in Germany from 1933 to 1945 including the totalitarian principle of government, predominance of especially Germanic groups assumed to be racially superior, and supremacy of the fuhrer;
Neo-Nazi
a member of a group espousing the programs and policies of Hitler's Nazis and Nazism.
O
P
policy
1. a : prudence or wisdom in the management of affairs; b : management or procedure based primarily on material interest; 2. a : a definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions; b : a high-level overall plan embracing the general goals and acceptable procedures especially of a governmental body;
politics
1. a : the art or science of government; b : the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy; c : the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government; 2. political actions, practices, or policies; 3. a : political affairs or business; especially : competition between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership (as in a government); b : political life especially as a principal activity or profession; c : political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices; 4. the political opinions or sympathies of a person; 5. a : the total complex of relations between people living in society; b : relations or conduct in a particular area of experience especially as seen or dealt with from a political point of view <office politics>;
principle
1. a : a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption; b (1) : a rule or code of conduct; (2) : habitual devotion to right principles <a man of principle>; c : the laws or facts of nature underlying the working of an artificial device; 2. a primary source : ORIGIN - in principle : with respect to fundamentals <prepared to accept the proposition in principle>;
privilege
a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor : especially : such a right or immunity attached specifically to a position or an office;
Progressivism/Progressive
1. the principles, beliefs, or practices of progressives; 2. capitalized : the political and economic doctrines advocated by the Progressives; 3. the theories of progressive education; 4. a : of, relating to, or characterized by progress; b : making use of or interested in new ideas, findings, or opportunities; c : of, relating to, or constituting an educational theory marked by emphasis on the individual child, informality of classroom procedure, and encouragement of self-expression; 5. of, relating to, or characterized by progression;
propaganda
1. the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person; 2. ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause; also : a public action having such an effect;
Q
R
republic (this is what America is founded on)
1. a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president; 2. a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government; 3. a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law; 4. a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government; 5. a usually specified republican government of a political unit <the French Fourth Republic>; 6. a body of persons freely engaged in a specified activity <the republic of letters>; 7. a constituent political and territorial unit of the former nations of Czechoslovakia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or Yugoslavia;
responsibility
1. the quality or state of being responsible; as a : moral, legal, or mental accountability; b : RELIABILITY, TRUSTWORTHINESS; 2. something for which one is responsible : BURDEN <has neglected his responsibilities>;
revolution
1. a (1) : the action by a celestial body of going round in an orbit or elliptical course; also : apparent movement of such a body round the earth; (2) : the time taken by a celestial body on its axis; b : completion of a course (as of years); also : the period made by the regular succession of a measure of time or by a succession of similar events; c (1) : a progressive motion of a body around an axis so that any line of the body parallel to the axis returns to its initial position while remaining parallel to the axis in transit and usually at a constant distance from it; (2) : motion of any figure about a center or axis <revolution of a right triangle about one of its legs generates a cone>; (3) : ROTATION; 2. a : a sudden, radical, or complete change; b : a fundamental change in political organization; especially : the overthrow or renunciation of one government or ruler and teh substitution of another by the governed; c : activity or movement designed to effect fundamental changes in the socio-economic situation; d : a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something : a change or paradigm <the Copernican revolution>; e : a changeover in use of preference especially in technology <the computer revolution> <the foreign car revolution>;
right
1. qualities (as adherence to duty or obedience to lawful authority) that together constitute the ideal of moral propriety or merit moral approval; 2. something to which one has a just claim; as a : the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled <voting rights> <his right to decide>; b (1) : the interest that one has a piece of property - often used in plural <mineral rights> (2) plural : the property interest possessed under law or custom and agreement in an intangible thing especially of a literary and artistic nature <film rights of the novel> 3. something that one may properly claim as due <knowing the truth is her right>; 4. the cause of truth or justice;
S
Socialism
1. any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods; 2. a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property; b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state; 3. a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done;
T
treaty
1. the action of treating and especially of negotiating; 2. a : an agreement or arrangement made by negotiation; (1) : PRIVATE TREATY; (2) : a : contract in writing between two or more political authorities (as states or sovereigns) formally signed by representatives duly authorized and usually ratified by the lawmaking authority of the state; b : a document in which such a contract is set down;
tyranny
1. oppressive power <every form of tyranny over the mind of man - Thomas Jefferson>; especially : oppressive power exerted by government <the tyranny of a police state>; 2. a : a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler; especially : one characteristic of an ancient Greek city-state; b : the office, authority, and administration of a tyrant; 3. a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force <living under the tyranny of the clock - Dixon Wecter>; 4. a tyrannical act <workers who had suffered tyrannies>;
U
V
W
welfare
1. the state of doing well especially in respect to good fortune, happiness, well-being, or prosperity <nust look out for your own welfare>; 2. a : aid in the form of money or necessities for those in need; b : an agency or program through which such aid is distributed;
X-Y-Z
