History Vocab

Front 1

Domestic Policy -

Back 1

All of the plans and decisions made by the government about issues within its own country.

Front 2

Impeachment -

Back 2

The political process of charging a government official with a crime or other wrongdoing; may lead to removal from office.

Front 3

Watergate -

Back 3

A scandal during the presidency of Richard Nixon involving a break-in, orchestrated by his re-election committee, at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Washington D.C. Watergate complex and the subsequent cover-up.

Front 4

Polarization -

Back 4

Sharp division in political opinions within a society.

Front 5

Liberal -

Back 5

A person who generally supports government involvement to expand social and economic opportunity; most often associated with the modern Democratic Party. (Left)

Front 6

Conservative -

Back 6

A person who believes in a society guided by traditional values and generally support limited government; most often associated the the modern Republican Party. (Right)

Front 7

Inflation -

Back 7

An overall decrease in the value of a country’s money, which leads to higher prices.

Front 8

Stagflation -

Back 8

An economic cycle characterized by slow economic growth, high unemployment, and high inflation (i.e. stagnant economic growth + high inflation).

Front 9

Environmentalism -

Back 9

A movement that seeks to protect and improve the quality of the environment.

Front 10

Fiscal Policy -

Back 10

All of the plans and decisions made by a government about its economy, spending, and taxation.

Front 11

Regulation -

Back 11

Rules set by the government to control the actions or behavior of businesses and create desired economic outcomes.

Front 12

Supply-side economics -

Back 12

A fiscal theory that suggests growth is most efficiently achieved through lower taxes and less government regulation.

Front 13

Reaganomics -

Back 13

The economic policies of Ronald Reagan characterized by supply-side economics, tax cuts, and deregulation, often referred to as “trickle-down economics.”

Front 14

Southern Strategy -

Back 14

An electoral tactic used by the Republican Party, beginning in the 1960s, to win elections by specifically appealing to white voters opposed to the Civil Rights Movement.

Front 15

Moral Majority -

Back 15

A 1980s movement within the Republican Party aimed at mobilizing American Christians as a political force and promoting a religious agenda in government.

Front 16

Wedge issue -

Back 16

A controversial topic that divides people and is brought up to gain political advantage (especially during elections).

Front 17

HIV/AIDS -

Back 17

A virus that attacks a person’s immune system and compromises their ability to fight other diseases and infections.

Front 18

Insurance -

Back 18

A plan people pay in order to protect themselves from losing money in the event of an accident, unexpected mishap, health issue, etc.

Front 19

Welfare -

Back 19

Government assistance, in the form of money, insurance, and resources, intended to guarantee that members of a society can meet basic needs, regardless of their ability to pay.

Front 20

Social Security -

Back 20

A US government program that provides financial support to retired and disabled workers.

Front 21

War on Drugs -

Back 21

A US government campaign, begun in the 1970s, to stop the use and sale of illegal substances through strict policing..

Front 22

Dog-whistle politics -

Back 22

The use of coded or subtle political messages to appeal to certain groups, without seeming obviously prejudiced.