The Changing Political Environment

Question 1

Republicans

Answer 1

The party is associated with the ideas of minimal government intervention.
Low taxes.
Conservative social policies.

Question 2

Democrats

Answer 2

The party is associated with the ideas of civil rights (exceptions in the south).
Unions in the work place.
Progressive reform.
After the 1930s, they were also associated with the idea of government intervention for social and economic reform.

Question 3

Separation of powers

Answer 3

Laws are made by a legislative group (CONGRESS)… Laws were carried out by an executive group (PRESIDENT &ADMINISTRATION)… Laws were enforced by a judicial group (SUPREME COURT)

Each group could curb the action of some of the others , IT ASSURED NO ONE GROUP HAD ALL THE POWER

Question 4

Congress

Answer 4

The law-making body of the USA.
It has two elected bodies, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

They both have to agree laws before they can become active. The president can veto any laws agreed by congress.

Question 5

Tariffs

Answer 5

Taxes put on goods going into, or out of, a country to encourage or discourage trading abroad.

Question 6

The League of Nations

Answer 6

An organisation formed at the end of the First World War set up to help international cooperation.

It’s aims were to help its member states to settle their differences peacefully rather than going to war.

Member states had to agree not to go to war over issues, but to resolve them with the help of the league.

Question 7

The Great Depression

Answer 7

The economic collapse that hit the USA in 1929.

Question 8

Hire purchase

Answer 8

Buying goods on credit: taking them at once but paying for hem in regular instalments over a set period of time.

Question 9

American civil war

Answer 9

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 to continue as separate states.

The southern states wanted to stay separate and continue slavery.

Question 10

Laissez-faire

Answer 10

French for ‘leave well alone’

This policy meant minimal government interference.

For example, not regulating businesses and not providing welfare for the poor.

Question 11

Anarchist

Answer 11

A person who believes in overthrowing established governments and letting people run their own lives without a formal government.

Question 12

Ku Klux Klan

Answer 12

A white supremacist organisation, suppressed in the 1870s and refounded 1915.

Racist, anti communist and anti immigrant.

Question 13

Wall Street crash

Answer 13

When the US stock market collapsed, sending the US, then many other countries, into the Great Depression.

Question 14

Inaugural speech

Answer 14

The first speech made by an incoming president.

In this speech, the president is expected to outline the broad policy hope to follow while in office.

Question 15

HUAC

Answer 15

House un-American activities commission.

Set up in 1938.

Made permanent in 1945.

It investigated people on all un-American activities, but focused on Communists.

Question 16

The Vietnam War

Answer 16

1954–75.

A war between the Communist North Vietnam (supported by the USSR and Communist China) and it’s non-Communist neighbour, South Vietnam (supported by the USA)

Question 17

Deep South

Answer 17

Most historians see it as those 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, and Tennessee.

Some historians also include part of Texas and Arkansas but not the whole states.

Question 18

Positive discrimination

Answer 18

Preferential treatment in employment, education, social welfare all other areas of life, given to minority groups that have suffered from discrimination in order to address inequality.

Question 19

The UN

Answer 19

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.

Hold the power to call an army to intervene if members went to war.

Question 20

GNP

Answer 20

Gross national product

The value of all goods and services produced by the people in the country in a year, plus income from abroad.

Question 21

Gooks

Answer 21

A racist word to describe someone on South East Asian descent.

Question 22

Hispanic American

Answer 22

Defined by the US Census as also Latinos and applying to a person of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican and other originally Spanish-speaking ethnic groups