MN Studies Glossary This is a list of key terms used in MN Studies that you will be expected to learn. These terms will be auto-linked throughout the course so that you can click on them for a pop-up definition. 1 0 dictionary 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 10 Federalism Federalism in the United States is the evolving relationship between U.S. state governments and the federal government of the United States 1 1 0 0 1 Sovereignty 1. (of a nation) The state of making laws and controlling resources without the coercion of other nations. 2. (of a ruler) Supreme authority over all things. (as in an emperor, king, dictator, or God, ref. 'King of kings, and Lord of lords') 3. (of self) The liberty to decide one's thoughts and actions. 1 1 0 0 1 Constitution The supreme law of the United States of America. The first three Articles of the Constitution establish the rules and separate powers of the three branches of the federal government: The last four Articles frame the principle of federalism. The Tenth Amendment confirms its federal characteristics. 1 1 0 0 1 asylum Noun 1. A place of safety 2. The protection, physical and legal, afforded by such a place. A place of protection or restraint for one or more classes of the disadvantaged, especially the mentally ill. 1 1 0 0 1 Congress Congress is the main legislative group that makes the laws. Congress is divided into two groups: the Senate and the House of Representatives. 1 1 0 0 1 Representative A member of the House of Representatives, one of the two houses of Congress. 1 1 0 0 1 legislator, Senate, senator, congress, Bill A draft of a proposed law presented to a legislature, but not yet passed and made into law. 1 1 0 0 1 law, Impeach To officially charge a public official with improper conduct or abuse of power. 1 1 0 0 1 cabinet Describes a group of leaders in the executive branch of government made up for the president, vice president and heads of government agencies. 1 1 0 0 1 checks and balances A system in which no government branch has too much power or control. 1 1 0 0 1 Commander in Chief A title given to the President of the United States that describes his role as top officer of the military. 1 1 0 0 1 Executive Branch The part of government that is responsible for implementing and enforcing laws made by congress. 1 1 0 0 1 Judicial Branch The part of government that is in charge of interpreting the Constitution, shaping laws and making changes to laws when necessary. 1 1 0 0 1 Legislative Branch The part of government that makes new laws. The legislative branch is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives (both houses together are called 'congress'). 1 1 0 0 1 impeachment A tool that Congress has to remove a President or Supreme Court Justice. 1 1 0 0 1 Supreme Court The highest court in the United States, the Supreme Court is made up of 9 justices (one chief justice and eight associate judges) who review and rule on court cases. 1 1 0 0 1 Senate Part of the legislative (lawmaking) branch that is made up of 100 members, two members for each of the 50 states. 1 1 0 0 1 Anishinaabe 1. Anishinaabeg means "first people" or "original people". 2. Ojibwe (Ojibway) 1 1 0 0 1 cede verb cede (used with object) ced·ed, ced·ing To give up, or surrender something, such as land, sometimes under pressure from others 1 1 0 0 1 Communism Noun communism (uncountable) 1. The ideology of political parties that use the term Communist in their names, usually Marxist and Leninist. 2. The socio-economic system based on such parties' ideologies. 3. (US, informal) A state of affairs perceived as oppressive, overly arbitrary, or totalitarian. 1 1 0 0 1 Dakota Noun Dakota (plural Dakotas) a branch of the Sioux people, historically living in the east of the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Iowa; the language of these people 1 1 0 0 1 discrimination Noun (plural discriminations) 1. a distinction; discernment, the act of discriminating, discerning, distinguishing, noting or perceiving differences between things. 2. The state of being discriminated, distinguished from, or set apart. 3. sometimes discrimination against) distinct treatment of an individual or group to their disadvantage; treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality; prejudice; bigotry 4. sexual or racial discrimination 5. The quality of being discriminating, acute discernment, specifically in a learning situation; as to show great discrimination in the choice of means. 6. That which discriminates; mark of distinction, a characteristic. 1 1 0 0 1 emigrant Noun Someone who leaves a country to settle in a new country. 1 1 0 0 1 Hmong Proper Noun 1. A people in China living predominantly in the southern provinces today; believed to be the first ethnic group in China. The language of these people. Adjective 2. Of or relating to the Hmong, their culture, or their language. Usage notes In Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, there are two major dialects spoken by the Hmong people. These dialects are known to the west as Leng and Der, and written in RPA as lees and dawb. Hmong people who speak the Der dialect when writing about the people itself use Hmong, however, due to recent political problems concerning translation services and academic representation, Hmong people who speak the Leng dialect when writing about the people itself use Mong. The reason is primarily political, but also has a linguistic basis, as Hmong people who speak the Leng dialect do not enunciate Hmong with a nasal sound. Westerners typically call Hmong people Miao when speaking of their existence and history in China (3000 BC–1800 AD). Westerners typically call Hmong people Meo when speaking of their existence and history in Indochina (1800–1950). After the Hmong people participated in a US-backed and covert CIA operation to protect Laos against communist North Vietnamese invasion, westerners have come to know Hmong people by their own enunciation. Unfortunately, due to the political problem mentioned above, many other forms of transliterations of Hmong have crystallized. A few of the known names by which the Hmong people themselves use when referring to themselves include: Hmong, Mong, HMong, MHmong, Mhoob, and HMoob. Generally, Hmong who speak the Leng dialect propagate and use these other variations as they feel disenfranchised, while Hmong who speak the Der dialect use the traditional Hmong in English and Hmoob in RPA. 1 1 0 0 1 immigrant noun immigrant (plural immigrants) 1. A person who comes to a country from another country in order to permanently settle in the new country. 2. A plant or animal that establishes itself in an area where it previously did not exist. 1 1 0 0 1 Migrant Worker Noun migrant worker (plural migrant workers) 1. an agricultural laborer who travels from place to place harvesting seasonal crops. 2. a person with temporary permission to work in another country. 1 1 0 0 1 Pull Factor Noun pull factor (plural Pull Factors) 1. The lure of another country, region, organization, or religion. 1 1 0 0 1 Push Factor Noun push factor (plural Push Factors) 1. A factor that leaves a person with no choice but to leave one's current home, country, region, organization or religion due to safety concerns. 1 1 0 0 1 refugee Noun 1. A person seeking refuge in a foreign country out of fear of political persecution or the prospect of such persecution in his home country, i.e., a person seeking a political asylum. 2. A person seeking refuge in a foreign country due to poverty and no prospect of overcoming said poverty in his home country, i.e., a person seeking an economic asylum. 3. A person seeking refuge due to a natural disaster. A person formally granted a political or economic asylum by a country other than his home country. 1 1 0 0 1 reservation Noun A reservation or community is a segment of land that belongs to one or more groups of American Indians. It is land that was retained by American Indian tribes after ceding large portions of the original homelands to the United States through treaty agreements. In Minnesota, there are seven Anishinaabe (Chippewa, Ojibwe) reservations and four Dakota (Sioux) communities. These reservations have boundary lines much like a county or state has boundary lines. 1 1 0 0 1 treaty Noun treaty (plural treaties) A binding agreement under international law concluded by subjects of international law, namely states and international organizations. 1 1 0 0 1 unrest Noun unrest (usually uncountable; plural unrests) A state of trouble, confusion and turbulence, especially in a political context; a time of riots, demonstrations and protests. 1 1 0 0 1