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Greenspan, Alan

(Encyclopedia)Greenspan, Alan, 1926–, American economist, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board (1987–2006), b. New York City. Influenced by the philosophy of Ayn Rand, Greenspan is a strong supporter of the fr...

Hampden, John

(Encyclopedia)Hampden, John hămpˈdən, hămˈ– [key], 1594–1643, English parliamentary leader; cousin of Oliver Cromwell. He entered Parliament in 1621, became closely associated with Sir John Eliot, and was ...

Foraker, Joseph Benson

(Encyclopedia)Foraker, Joseph Benson fŏrˈəkər [key], 1846–1917, American politician, b. Highland co., Ohio. After service in the Civil War, he practiced law in Cincinnati and was a judge of the superior court...

Peabody, George

(Encyclopedia)Peabody, George pēˈbädē, –bədē [key], 1795–1869, American financier and philanthropist, b. South Danvers (now Peabody), Mass. At the age of 11 he was apprenticed to a grocer, and later (1814...

civil rights

(Encyclopedia)civil rights, rights that a nation's inhabitants enjoy by law. The term is broader than “political rights,” which refer only to rights devolving from the franchise and are held usually only by a c...

Faymann, Werner

(Encyclopedia)Faymann, Werner, 1960–, Austrian politician, federal chancellor of Austria (2008–16), b. Vienna. A member of the Social Democrat party, he began his political career as chairman of Vienna Socialis...

Black, Jeremiah Sullivan

(Encyclopedia)Black, Jeremiah Sullivan, 1810–83, American cabinet officer, b. Somerset co., Pa. Admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1830, Black became a successful lawyer. As U.S. Attorney General (1857–60) und...

Posse Comitatus Act

(Encyclopedia)Posse Comitatus Act, 1878, U.S. federal law that makes it a crime to use the military as a domestic police force in the United States under most circumstances. The law was designed to end the use of f...

Drucker, Peter Ferdinand

(Encyclopedia)Drucker, Peter Ferdinand, 1909–2005, American economist, b. Vienna, Austria. After receiving a doctorate in international and public law from Frankfurt Univ. (1931), Drucker was a financial writer f...

Abiola, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale

(Encyclopedia)Abiola, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale, 1937–1998, Nigerian businessman and politician. A Yoruba from the southwest, he trained as an accountant at Glasgow Univ. Abiola joined the ITT Corporation (1968),...