Social Studies 30-2 flashcards
Social Studies 30-2 · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Ideology
- An organized set of beliefs about human nature, society, and government that explains the world and guides political action.
- Individualism
- The principle that individual rights, autonomy, and personal interests take priority over group goals; a central value of classical liberalism.
- Collectivism
- The principle that the group's welfare, shared goals, and community needs take priority over individual self-interest; found in socialism and communism.
- Common good
- The shared conditions that benefit most members of a community, often invoked to justify limits on individual behaviour.
- Utopianism
- The belief that a perfect society can be designed and achieved through deliberate change in politics, economy, or human nature.
- Dystopia
- An imagined society of oppression and suffering, often used to warn that attempts to build a perfect society can destroy freedom.
- Left-right spectrum
- A way of classifying ideologies by attitudes to change and equality: the left tends toward change and equality, the right toward tradition and hierarchy.
- Eclectic ideology
- An individual's mixture of beliefs drawn from several ideologies rather than one pure system; most people hold such blends.
- Rule of law
- The principle that everyone, including rulers and officials, is subject to the same known laws applied fairly and equally.
- Natural rights
- Rights Locke argued belong to all people from birth - life, liberty, and property - and which no government may legitimately remove.
- Social contract
- The idea that people consent to be governed in exchange for protection of their rights, and may resist a government that breaks that agreement.
- Laissez-faire capitalism
- An economic system in which private owners operate markets with minimal government regulation, following Adam Smith's principle of non-interference.
- Classical liberalism
- An early form of liberalism stressing individual freedom, limited government, private property, and free markets with little state welfare.
- Modern liberalism
- A later form of liberalism that uses government intervention, welfare programs, and regulation to expand opportunity and reduce inequality.
- Harm principle
- John Stuart Mill's rule that individuals should be free to act as they choose unless their actions harm others.
- Separation of powers
- Montesquieu's design dividing government into executive, legislative, and judicial branches so that each branch limits the others.
- Marxism
- The theory of Marx and Engels that history is a struggle between classes and that capitalism exploits workers, ending in revolution and collective ownership.
- Communism
- A system in which the means of production are owned collectively or by the state, aiming at classless equality; in practice usually one-party rule.
- Fascism
- An authoritarian ideology exalting nation and state above the individual, led by a dictator and suppressing opposition through nationalism and violence.
- Totalitarianism
- A form of rule in which the state controls nearly every aspect of public and private life and permits no rival source of authority.
- Class struggle
- Marx's concept that conflict between owners and workers over wealth and power is the engine of historical change.
- Civil disobedience
- The deliberate, non-violent breaking of a law to protest injustice, usually accepting punishment in order to highlight the wrong.
- Authoritarianism
- A system in which power is concentrated in one leader or small group, with limited political freedoms and little accountability to citizens.
- Conservatism
- An ideology that resists rapid change and values tradition, order, established institutions, and gradual rather than sudden reform.
- Active citizenship
- Citizenship that involves participation - voting, volunteering, protesting, joining groups - to influence decisions and improve the community.
- Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- The 1982 Canadian constitutional document protecting fundamental freedoms, legal rights, and equality rights, taking precedence over other laws.
- Notwithstanding clause
- Section 33 of the Canadian Charter, allowing Parliament or a legislature to override certain rights for up to five years.
- Collective rights
- Rights held by a group rather than an individual, such as Aboriginal and treaty rights or official-language minority education rights.
- Globalization
- The growing interconnection of economies, cultures, and politics worldwide through trade, communication, and migration.
- Multiculturalism
- A policy adopted in Canada in 1971 and legislated in 1988 that treats cultural diversity as a national value to be supported.
- Sustainable development
- Meeting present economic needs without depleting resources or harming the environment for future generations.
- Echo chamber
- A media environment where users meet mainly opinions like their own, reinforced by algorithms, which can deepen ideological polarization.