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Govt Terms
Test 3
84
Other
Not Applicable
11/16/2005

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Term
mercantilism
Definition
mercantilism (mûr'kəntĭlĭzəm) , economic system of the major trading nations during the 16th, 17th, and 18th cent., based on the premise that national wealth and power were best served by increasing exports and collecting precious metals in return
Term
recession
Definition
A period of decreased business activity and high unemployment: depression, slump
Term
unemployment rate
Definition
The percentage of the total labor force that is unemployed but actively seeking employment and willing to work.
Term
Federal Reserve
Definition
You can divide the Federal Reserve's duties into four general areas:

1. Conducting monetary policy
2. Regulating banking institutions and protecting the credit rights of consumers
3. Maintaining the stability of the financial system
4. Providing financial services to the U.S. government
Term
progressive taxes
Definition
A tax that takes a larger percentage from the income of high-income people than it does from low-income people.
Term
national debt
Definition
The total financial obligations of a national government.
Term
poverty line
Definition
A minimum income level below which a person is officially considered to lack adequate subsistence and to be living in poverty
Term
indexing benefits
Definition
Social Security Benefits to Consumer Price Index
Term
Medicaid
Definition
national health insurance program in the United States for low-income persons; established in 1965 with passage of the Social Security Amendments and now run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Term
means-testing
Definition
To apply a means test to or require a means test for a governmental program
Term
equality of results
Definition
hat each group be perfectly represented in each of
Term
Marshall Plan
Definition
Marshall Plan or European Recovery Program, project instituted at the Paris Economic Conference (July, 1947) to foster economic recovery in certain European countries after World War II
Term
Monroe Doctrine
Definition
proclaimed the United States' opinion that European powers should no longer colonize the Americas or interfere with the affairs of sovereign nations located in the Americas
Term
Bretton Woods
Definition
Bretton Woods was the site of the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944 which has given its name to the Bretton Woods system and led to the establishment of both the World Bank and the IMF in 1946.
Term
United nations
Definition
An international organization composed of most of the countries of the world. It was founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and economic development.
Term
MAD
Definition
mutual assured destruction
Term
Perestroka
Definition
The restructuring of the Soviet economy and bureaucracy that began in the mid 1980s
Term
Berlin Airlift
Definition
It was initiated in response to a land and water blockade of the city that had been instituted by the Soviet Union in the hope that the Allies would be forced to abandon West Berlin
Term
multilateralism
Definition
Multilateralism is an international relations term that refers to multiple countries working in concert.
Term
jacksonian school
Definition
A movement for more democracy in American government in the 1830s. Led by President Andrew Jackson, this movement championed greater rights for the common man and was opposed to any signs of aristocracy in the nation
Term
Hamiltonian school
Definition
The Hamiltonian way is described as emphasizing the U.S. "need to be integrated into the global economy on favorable terms." This need produced a Hamiltonian emphasis on freedom of the seas, maintaining an open door for trade and investment, and, in the nineteenth century, forging amicable relations with Britain and its empire.
Term
N.A.F.T.A
Definition
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), accord establishing a free-trade zone in North America; it was signed in 1992 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States and took effect on Jan. 1, 1994. NAFTA immediately lifted tariffs on the majority of goods produced by the signatory nations
Term
personal liberty
Definition
freedom
Term
Permament Members
Definition
he Council's five veto-wielding permanent members
Term
kyoto Protocol
Definition
An agreement on global warming reached by the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997
Term
Powel Doctrine
Definition
Overwhelming force, clear exit strategy, and respect
for enemy etc.
Term
capitalism
Definition
An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market.
Term
stagflation
Definition
stagflation, in economics, a word coined in the 1970s to describe a combination of a stagnant economy and severe inflation
Term
inflation
Definition
A persistent increase in the level of consumer prices or a persistent decline in the purchasing power of money, caused by an increase in available currency and credit beyond the proportion of available goods and services.
Term
monetary policy
Definition
The actions of a central bank, currency board, or other regulatory committee, that determine the size and rate of growth of the money supply, which in turn affects interest rates.
Term
fiscal policy
Definition
Government spending policies that influence macroeconomic conditions. These policies affect tax rates, interest rates, and government spending, in an effort to control the economy.
Term
regressive taxes
Definition
A tax that takes a larger percentage from the income of low-income people than the income of high-income people.
Term
public debt
Definition
debt, public, indebtedness of a central government expressed in money terms, often referred to as national debt. The debt is computed differently by nearly every nation. Some authorities exclude all government obligations other than those incurred by public borrowing from individuals.
Term
social mobility
Definition
The ability of individuals or groups to move upward or downward in status based on wealth, occupation, education, or some other social variable.
Term
in-kind benefits
Definition
These are benefits, excluding salaries, given to employees which include cars and car fuel, medical insurance and gifts etc. and which are taxed as employment income.
Term
managed care
Definition
Any arrangement for health care in which an organization, such as an HMO, another type of doctor-hospital network, or an insurance company, acts an intermediate between the person seeking care and the physician.
Term
Social Security
Definition
often Social Security (Abbr. SS) A government program that provides economic assistance to persons faced with unemployment, disability, or agedness, financed by assessment of employers and employees.
Term
income transfers
Definition
a
Term
tort reform
Definition
Change or alteration of laws imposing civil liability for torts esp. to limit liability for punitive damages
Term
real politics
Definition
a
Term
N.A.T.O.
Definition
The treaty, one of the major Western countermeasures against the threat of aggression by the Soviet Union during the cold war, was aimed at safeguarding the freedom of the North Atlantic community. Considering an armed attack on any member an attack against all, the treaty provided for collective self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The treaty was also designed to encourage political, economic, and social cooperation. The organization was reorganized and centralized in 1952.
Term
Iron curtain
Definition
# often Iron Curtain The military, political, and ideological barrier established between the Soviet bloc and western Europe from 1945 to 1990.
Term
Isolationism
Definition
A national policy of abstaining from political or economic relations with other countries.
Term
World Bank
Definition
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), specialized agency of the United Nations, with headquarters at Washington, D.C.; also called the World Bank. Plans were laid at the Bretton Woods Conference (1944) for the formation of a world bank; it was formally organized in 1945, when 28 countries ratified the agreement; there are now 184 members
Term
league of Nations
Definition
a A world organization established in 1920 to promote international cooperation and peace. It was first proposed in 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson, although the United States never joined the League. Essentially powerless, it was officially dissolved in 1946.
Term
detente
Definition
A policy toward a rival nation or bloc characterized by increased diplomatic, commercial, and cultural contact and a desire to reduce tensions, as through negotiation or talks.
Term
Glosnost
Definition
An official policy of the former Soviet government emphasizing candor with regard to discussion of social problems and shortcomings.
Term
preemptive doctrine
Definition
“Given the goals of rogue states and terrorists, the United States can no longer solely rely on a reactive posture as we have in the past. The inability to deter a potential attacker, the immediacy of today’s threats, and the magnitude of potential harm that could be caused by our adversaries’ choice of weapons, do not permit that option. We cannot let our enemies strike first.”
Term
unilateralism
Definition
A tendency of nations to conduct their foreign affairs individualistically, characterized by minimal consultation and involvement with other nations, even their allies.
Term
equal opportunity
Definition
Absence of discrimination, as in the workplace, based on race, color, age, gender, national origin, religion, or mental or physical disability: “The issue of equal opportunity . . . posed particular problems”
Term
Wilsonian school
Definition
seeks the advancement of democracy and international law
through multilateral institutions.
Term
Rule of Law
Definition
1. An authoritative legal doctrine, principle, or precept applied to the facts of an appropriate case (adopting the rule of law that is most persuasive in light of precedent, reason and policy - Wright v. Wright, 904 P.2d 403 (1995))
2. Government by law Adherence to due process of law
Term
protectionism
Definition
The advocacy, system, or theory of protecting domestic producers by impeding or limiting, as by tariffs or quotas, the importation of foreign goods and services.
Term
deterence
Definition
Measures taken by a state or an alliance of states to prevent hostile action by another state.
Term
trade deficit
Definition
The condition that exists when the value of what a country imports exceeds the value of what it exports; also called an unfavorable balance of trade.
Term
socialism
Definition
socialism, general term for the political and economic theory that advocates a system of collective or government ownership and management of the means of production and distribution of goods. Because of the collective nature of socialism, it is to be contrasted to the doctrine of the sanctity of private property that characterizes capitalism.
Term
gross domestic product
Definition
The total market value of all the goods and services produced within the borders of a nation during a specified period.
Term
classical economics
Definition
Classical Economics refers to work done by a group of economists in the 18th and 19th centuries. They developed theories about the way markets and market economies work. The study was primarily concerned with the dynamics of economic growth. It stressed economic freedom and promoted ideas such as laissez-faire and free competition.
Term
keynsian economics
Definition
A supporter of Keynesian economics believes it is the government's job to smooth out the bumps in business cycles. Intervention would come in the form of government spending and tax breaks in order to stimulate the economy, and government spending cuts and tax hikes in good times, in order to curb inflation.
Term
Supply side economics
Definition
economic theory that concentrates on influencing the supply of labor and goods as a path to economic health, rather than approaching the issue through such macroeconomic concerns as gross national product.
Term
Monatarist economics
Definition
An economist who holds the strong belief that the economy's performance is determined almost entirely by changes in the money supply.
Term
deficit spending
Definition
The spending of public funds obtained by borrowing rather than by taxation.
Term
social insurance
Definition
An insurance program carried out or mandated by a government to provide economic assistance to the unemployed, the elderly, or the disabled.
Term
consumer price index
Definition
An index of prices used to measure the change in the cost of basic goods and services in comparison with a fixed base period. Also called cost-of-living index.
Term
Medicare
Definition
A program under the U.S. Social Security Administration that reimburses hospitals and physicians for medical care provided to qualifying people over 65 years old.
Term
Supplemental Security Income
Definition
Supplemental Security Income is a monthly stipend provided to some citizens by the United States federal government. Individuals who prove to the Social Security Administration that they cannot work and have no other income, such as permanently disabled individuals and long-term cancer patients, may qualify for SSI.
Term
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
Definition
The purpose of the program is to provide financial and medical assistance to needy dependent children and the parents or relatives with whom they are living.
Term
preventive care
Definition
emedy that prevents or slows the course of an illness or diseas
Term
moral idealism
Definition
a
Term
Truman Doctrine
Definition
This pronouncement and its uses expanded the nation's role in checking the spread of communism in the postwar era
Term
Washington's Farewell Address
Definition
The final address by George Washington to his fellow citizens as he was leaving the presidency. He wrote the address in 1796 but never delivered it. Washington discussed the dangers of divisive party politics and warned strongly against permanent alliances between the United States and other countries.
Term
Roosevelt Corollary
Definition
Roosevelt was determined to make the U.S. the dominant power in the Western Hemisphere. This doctrine was a frank statement that the U.S. was willing to seek leverage over Latin American governments by acting as an international police power in the region. Described as a policy of speaking softly but carrying a big stick, the Roosevelt announcement launched an era of the "big stick."
Term
International Monetary Fund
Definition
International Monetary Fund (IMF), specialized agency of the United Nations, established in 1945. It was planned at the Bretton Woods Conference (1944), and its headquarters are in Washington, D.C. There is close collaboration between it and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Term
World Trade Organisation
Definition
World Trade Organization (WTO), international organization established in 1995 as a result of the final round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations, called the Uruguay Round. The WTO is responsible for monitoring national trading policies, handling trade disputes, and enforcing the GATT agreements, which are designed to reduce tariffs and other barriers to international trade and to eliminate discriminatory treatment in international commerce.
Term
General Agreement on Tarrifs and Trade
Definition
Its stated mission was to reduce barriers to trade and prevent competitive trade policies from hampering the global economy. Member nations had negotiated seven rounds of tariff reductions by 1994 when the GATT was replaced by the more structured World Trade Organization (WTO)
Term
Cuban Missal Crisis
Definition
it is regarded as the moment when the Cold War was closest to turning into a nuclear war, which could have resulted in World War III.
Term
illiberal democracy
Definition
the term is almost always used to denote a particularly authoritarian kind of representative democracy, in which the leaders and lawmakers are elected by the people, but tend to be corrupt and often do not respect the law
Term
collective security
Definition
Collective Security is a system aspiring to the maintenance of peace, in which participants agree that any "breach of the peace is to be declared to be of concern to all the participating states,
Term
Three Balances of Globalization
Definition
The first is the traditional balance of power between nation-states

The second important power balance in the globalization system is between nation-states and global markets
The third balance that you have to pay attention to -- the one that is really the newest of all and the most relevant to the events of 9/11 -- is the balance between individuals and nation-states
Term
Jeffersonian school
Definition
* effersonians -- They are idealists, the most emotional of the four types, who believe in a moralistic approach to foreign policy. They believe that there are always better alternatives than war. The Jeffersonians are staunch opponents of the Iraq war, and many of them were none too keen on the war in Afghanistan.
Term
most favored nation
Definition
In effect, having MFN status means that one's nation will not be treated worse than anyone else's nation.
Term
United Nations Security Council
Definition
The permanent peacekeeping organ of the United Nations, composed of five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and ten elected members.
Term
international criminal court
Definition
The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, as defined by several international agreements, most prominently the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Term
Caleb Carr's Terrorism Theory
Definition
...simply the contemporary name given to, and the modern permutation of, warfare deliberately waged against civilians
with the purpose of destroying their will to support either leaders or policies that the agents of such violence find objectionable.
Warfare against civilians, whether inspired by hatred, revenge, greed, or political and psychological insecurity, has been one
of the most ultimately self-defeating tactics in all of military history--indeed, it would be difficult to think of one more inimical
to its various practitioners' causes....[T]he nation or faction that resorts to warfare against civilians most quickly, most often,
and most viciously is the nation or faction most likely to see its interests frustrated and, in many cases, its existence terminated.
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