SAT · History & Social Studies · Advanced

• suffrage

  n. the right to vote in elections

  The movement fought to extend suffrage to all adults.

• abolition

  n. the official ending of a system or practice

  The abolition of slavery transformed the southern states.

• secession

  n. the formal withdrawal of a region from a union

  The secession of the southern states triggered the conflict.

• ratification

  n. the formal approval of an agreement or document

  Ratification required the consent of nine states.

• jurisdiction

  n. the official power to make legal decisions

  The court lacked jurisdiction over the foreign company.

• sovereignty

  n. a state's supreme authority to govern itself

  The treaty recognized the island's full sovereignty.

• bureaucracy

  n. a complex system of administrative offices

  Reformers criticized the slow, wasteful bureaucracy.

• legislature

  n. a body that makes and passes laws

  The state legislature debated the new budget for weeks.

• judiciary

  n. the branch of government that interprets laws

  An independent judiciary protects against abuse of power.

• referendum

  n. a direct public vote on a single issue

  Voters approved the measure in a national referendum.

• federalism

  n. a system dividing power between central and regional governments

  American federalism balances state and central authority.

• ideology

  n. a system of ideas guiding political beliefs

  The two parties were divided by sharply opposed ideologies.

• doctrine

  n. a set of official principles or beliefs

  The president announced a new foreign policy doctrine.

• mandate

  n. official authority to act, given by voters

  The landslide gave the new governor a clear mandate.

• statute

  n. a written law passed by a legislative body

  The new statute banned discrimination in hiring.

• precedent

  n. an earlier action used as an example for later ones

  The ruling set an important legal precedent.

• autonomy

  n. the right to govern oneself independently

  The territory was granted broad political autonomy.

• hegemony

  n. dominance of one group or state over others

  The empire maintained hegemony over the entire region.

• oligarchy

  n. rule by a small group of powerful people

  The republic gradually decayed into an oligarchy.

• aristocracy

  n. a class of people with inherited high rank

  The revolution stripped the aristocracy of its privileges.

• proletariat

  n. the working class who sell their labor

  Marx argued that the proletariat would seize the means of production.

• bourgeoisie

  n. the property-owning middle class

  The bourgeoisie profited greatly from the new factories.

• capitalism

  n. an economic system based on private ownership

  Critics blamed unregulated capitalism for the inequality.

• socialism

  n. a system favoring collective ownership of resources

  The party promoted socialism as a remedy for poverty.

• imperialism

  n. a policy of extending control over other nations

  European imperialism reshaped the map of Africa.

• colonialism

  n. the practice of ruling distant territories

  The legacy of colonialism still shapes the region.

• nationalism

  n. strong devotion to one's own country

  Rising nationalism fueled tensions between the powers.

• populism

  n. politics appealing to ordinary people against elites

  The candidate's populism resonated with frustrated workers.

• partisan

  adj. strongly favoring one political party

  The debate broke down along bitter partisan lines.

• incumbent

  n. the person currently holding an office

  The incumbent faced a strong challenger this year.

• constituency

  n. the body of voters in an area

  The senator visited every town in her constituency.

• franchise

  n. the legal right to vote

  The reform extended the franchise to property-less men.

• enfranchise

  v. to grant someone the right to vote

  The amendment enfranchised millions of former slaves.

• disenfranchise

  v. to deprive someone of the right to vote

  Poll taxes were used to disenfranchise poor voters.

• repeal

  v. to officially cancel a law

  Activists campaigned to repeal the unjust statute.

• enact

  v. to make a proposal into a law

  The assembly enacted sweeping labor protections.

• deliberate

  v. to consider carefully before deciding

  The jury deliberated for three days before its verdict.

• dissent

  n. strong disagreement with an official view

  The justice wrote a powerful dissent against the ruling.

• coalition

  n. a temporary alliance of groups or parties

  Three small parties formed a governing coalition.

• faction

  n. a small dissenting group within a larger one

  A radical faction split from the main party.

• demagogue

  n. a leader who exploits popular fears

  The demagogue rose to power by stoking resentment.

• despotism

  n. rule by an absolute, oppressive ruler

  The colonists rebelled against royal despotism.

• tyranny

  n. cruel and unjust use of power

  The constitution was designed to prevent tyranny.

• emancipation

  n. the act of freeing people from bondage

  The proclamation declared the emancipation of enslaved people.

• annexation

  n. the act of taking territory into a state

  The annexation of the territory sparked widespread outrage.

• subsidy

  n. money given by a government to support an activity

  Farmers relied on a federal subsidy to survive the drought.

• tariff

  n. a tax on imported goods

  The new tariff raised the price of foreign steel.

• recession

  n. a period of declining economic activity

  The recession left millions without jobs.

• stagflation

  n. high inflation combined with stagnant growth

  The decade of stagflation puzzled many economists.

• monopoly

  n. exclusive control of a market by one entity

  The company built a monopoly over the rail lines.

• laissez-faire

  adj. favoring minimal government interference in markets

  Advocates of laissez-faire opposed any regulation of trade.

• mercantilism

  n. an economic policy maximizing exports and wealth

  Under mercantilism, colonies existed to enrich the mother state.

• deficit

  n. the amount by which spending exceeds income

  The government ran a large budget deficit during the crisis.

• depression

  n. a long, severe decline in the economy

  The depression of the 1930s wiped out countless savings.

• suffragist

  n. a person who campaigns for the right to vote

  The suffragist marched for women's right to the ballot.

• abolitionist

  n. a person who fights to end slavery

  The abolitionist gave speeches across the northern states.

• totalitarian

  adj. of a state that controls every aspect of life

  The totalitarian regime suppressed all opposition.

• authoritarian

  adj. demanding strict obedience to authority

  The authoritarian leader silenced the free press.

• parliamentary

  adj. relating to a legislative assembly

  The country adopted a parliamentary system after the war.

• veto

  n. the power to reject a proposed law

  The president used his veto to block the spending bill.

• impeachment

  n. the formal charging of an official with misconduct

  The legislature began impeachment proceedings against the judge.

• filibuster

  n. a long speech used to delay a vote

  A senator launched a filibuster to stall the bill.

• gerrymander

  v. to redraw voting districts for unfair advantage

  The party tried to gerrymander the map to keep power.

• plutocracy

  n. rule by the wealthy

  Critics warned the system was drifting toward plutocracy.

• theocracy

  n. rule by religious leaders or law

  The theocracy enforced strict religious codes on citizens.

• meritocracy

  n. a system where rank is earned by ability

  Reformers championed a meritocracy in public service.

• egalitarian

  adj. believing all people deserve equal status

  The thinkers promoted an egalitarian vision of society.

• secular

  adj. not connected with religion

  The founders favored a secular system of government.

• agrarian

  adj. relating to farming or rural life

  The agrarian economy depended on a few major crops.

• indentured

  adj. bound by contract to work for a set period

  Many indentured laborers crossed the ocean for passage.

• manifesto

  n. a public declaration of policy or aims

  The party published a manifesto outlining its goals.

• referent

  n. a thing that a word or symbol stands for

  Historians debated the true referent of the old term.

• ascendancy

  n. a position of dominant power or influence

  The party gained ascendancy after the scandal.

• hierarchy

  n. a system ranking people by status

  The rigid social hierarchy limited upward movement.

• patronage

  n. the giving of jobs or favors for loyalty

  The mayor rewarded supporters through political patronage.

• demographic

  adj. relating to the structure of populations

  A major demographic shift changed the city's character.

• militant

  adj. aggressively active in a cause

  A militant wing of the group rejected all compromise.

• insurgent

  adj. rising in active revolt against authority

  Insurgent forces seized control of the capital.

• reactionary

  adj. strongly opposed to social or political change

  Reactionary leaders sought to restore the old order.

• progressive

  adj. favoring social reform and improvement

  The progressive era brought new labor and safety laws.

• embargo

  n. an official ban on trade with a country

  The government imposed an embargo on enemy goods.

• sanction

  n. a penalty imposed to enforce compliance

  The council voted to place sanctions on the regime.

• statecraft

  n. the skillful management of state affairs

  Her statecraft kept the fragile alliance intact.

• provision

  n. a clause or condition in a legal document

  A key provision of the bill protected small farmers.

• clause

  n. a particular section of a legal text

  The contested clause limited the executive's authority.

• covenant

  n. a solemn binding agreement

  The settlers signed a covenant to govern themselves.

• charter

  n. a document granting rights or defining a body

  The town received a royal charter to hold markets.

• manumission

  n. the formal freeing of an enslaved person

  The will provided for the manumission of his servants.

• serfdom

  n. a system binding peasants to the land

  The reforms finally abolished serfdom across the empire.

• feudalism

  n. a system of land held in exchange for service

  Feudalism organized medieval society into rigid ranks.

• dynasty

  n. a line of rulers from the same family

  The dynasty governed the region for over two centuries.

• regime

  n. a particular government or ruling system

  The repressive regime collapsed after the uprising.

• insurrection

  n. a violent uprising against authority

  The failed insurrection led to harsh reprisals.

• coup

  n. a sudden seizure of power from a government

  The generals seized control through a swift coup.

• plebiscite

  n. a direct vote on a national question

  The leader called a plebiscite to confirm his rule.

• electorate

  n. all the people entitled to vote

  The candidate appealed to a divided electorate.

• demobilize

  v. to release troops from active service

  The government began to demobilize the army after the truce.

• nullify

  v. to make a law or agreement legally void

  The state attempted to nullify the unpopular federal act.

• appropriate

  v. to set aside money for a specific use

  Lawmakers voted to appropriate funds for the new road.

• levy

  v. to officially impose a tax or fee

  The crown levied a heavy duty on imported salt.

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