GLOSSARY 343
Labor camp A prison camp where people
are forced to do difficult manual labor, often
in bad conditions.Leftism, left wing Ideology of the political
“left.” It is characterized by an interventionist
approach to social welfare and an
internationalist worldview. The concept
originated in 18th-century France, when
nobility who sought to improve the peasants’
conditions sat to the left of the king.Liberalism A philosophy originating in
the 18th century that advocates the rights
of the individual over those of the state or
Church, opposing absolutism and the divine
right of kings.Martial law The law temporarily imposed by
the military when civil law is suspended in a
country or state.Marxism The philosophy underpinning the
writings of Karl Marx, proposing that the
economic order of society determines the
political and social relationships within it.Meritocracy The belief that rulers should be
selected on the basis of ability, rather than
wealth or birth.Militia A body of citizens, who may have
some level of military training, who are called
on to supplement a country’s professional army
in times of emergency.Nation-state A sovereign state inhabited by a
largely homogenous group of people, who
share common features such as language,
descent, and traditions.Nationalism Loyalty and devotion to the
home nation, and the political belief that its
interests should be pursued as the primary
goal of a political policy.Nomadic Relating to, or characteristic of,
nomads—a group of people who move from
place to place, often in relation to the seasons,
and within a specific territory.Oligarchy A form of government in which
power is held by a small group and exercised
in their own interest, usually to the detriment
of the general population.Paramilitary A group of civilians that have
military training and are organized according
to military structure, which often acts as
support for a country’s official military force.Partisan An absolute supporter of a particular
political leader, party, or cause who typically
exhibits unquestioning allegiance.Pilgrimage A journey to a shrine or sacred
site as an act of religious devotion.Prehistory The period of human past before
written records began, and so largely
understood through archaeological history.Proletariat The lowest social or economic
class of a community.Propaganda The organized spread of
information, ideas, and opinion, often via
the media, to either promote or damage
a government, movement, institution etc.Puppet state A country that is nominally
independent, but in fact relies on an external
foreign power, which often controls the state
using military force.Racism The belief that all members of a
certain race share similar characteristics and
attributes, and that this means that certain
races are inherently superior or inferior.Rationalism The belief that reason, not
emotion or intuition, should govern the actions
that people take.Reformation A 16th-century European
political and religious movement that sought
reform from the Roman Catholic Church and
papal authority, and resulted in the
establishment of the Protestant Churches.Renaissance A period of time in Europe
from the 14th–17th century marked by great
achievements in the arts, literature, and
learning, often regarded as the transition
from the medieval to the modern world.Reparations Compensation—usually money,
material, or labor—paid by a defeated nation
to make up for damage, injuries, and economic
losses suffered by another country as the
result of war.Republic A state with no monarch, in which
power resides with the people and is exercised
by their elected representatives.Revolution An overthrow of the current
political regime or social order, sometimes
using violent measures, by the governed people.Rightism, right wing The ideology of
the political “right,” loosely defined as
favoring conservative, pro-market attitudes,
a preference for individual rights over
interventionist government, a strict approach
to law and order, and nationalism. The concept
originated in 18th-century France, when those
who were broadly in support of the monarchy
sat to the right of the king.Separatists A group of people who advocate
separation from an organization or group.Serf Especially in medieval Europe, a lower
class person bound to undertake agriculturalwork on his lord’s land. A serf could be
transferred with the land should it be sold
to a new landowner.Socialism An ideology and method of
government that advocates state ownership
and regulation of industry, and central control
over the allocation of resources, as opposed
to allowing these to be determined by
market forces.Sovereignty Supreme power as exercised by
an autonomous state or ruler, free from any
external influence or control. Usually used to
refer to a nation’s right to self-determination in
internal affairs and international relations with
other countries.Space Age A period in the 20th century
characterized by space exploration. It is
considered to have started in October 1957
when the Soviet Union first launched the
satellite Sputnik I into orbit.State An organized authority that has
legitimate control over a territory, and a
monopoly of the use of force within its territory.Suffrage The right to vote in elections or
referenda. Universal suffrage refers to the right
to vote of citizens regardless of their gender,
race, social status, or wealth. Women’s
suffrage describes the right of women to vote
on the same basis as men, as campaigned for
in the early 20th century by activists such as
the “suffragettes.”Superpower A sovereign nation with great
political and military power, capable of
influencing international politics.Totalitarianism A regime that subordinates
the rights of the individual in favor of the
interests of the state, through control
of political and economic affairs and
prescription of the attitudes, values, and
beliefs of the population.Treaty A formal contract that sets out
agreements—such as an alliance, the end of
hostilities, or a trade agreement—between
two or more states.Vassal In a feudal system, a man granted
the use of land by a king, lord, or other
superior landowner, in return for homage
and allegiance.Viceroy A ruler who controls a colony on
behalf of his or her sovereign.Zionism A worldwide political movement that
proclaims that the Jewish people constitute a
nation, and are therefore entitled to a homeland.
It originally focused on creating a country for
Jewish people, and now looks to develop and
protect the modern state of Israel.US_342-343_Glossary.indd 343 15/02/2016 16:46