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Kirkpatrick, Jeane Duane Jordan

(Encyclopedia)Kirkpatrick, Jeane Duane Jordan kûrkpăˈtrĭk, kûrpăˈ– [key], 1926–2006, U.S. public official, b. Duncan, Okla. Originally a Democrat, she was professor of political science (1967–1980, 198...

Third World

(Encyclopedia)Third World, the technologically less advanced, or developing, nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, generally characterized as poor, having economies distorted by their dependence on the export...

woman suffrage

(Encyclopedia)woman suffrage, the right of women to vote. Throughout the latter part of the 19th cent. the issue of women's voting rights was an important phase of feminism. On the European mainland, Finland (1...

Montreal Protocol

(Encyclopedia)Montreal Protocol, officially the Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, treaty signed on Sept. 16, 1987, at Montreal by 25 nations; 197 nations are now parties to the accord. The protoc...

La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, François Alexandre Frédéric, duc de

(Encyclopedia)La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, François Alexandre Frédéric, duc de älĕksäNˈdrə frādārēkˈ dük də lä rôshfo͞okōˈ-lyäNko͞orˈ [key], 1747–1827, French social reformer. Before the Fren...

autonomy

(Encyclopedia)autonomy ôtŏnˈəmē [key] [Gr.,=self-rule], in a political sense, limited self-government, short of independence, of a political state or, more frequently, of a subdivision. The term is also used f...

détente

(Encyclopedia)détente, relaxation of tensions between nations, applied particularly to a period of improved relations between the United States and Soviet Union in the 1960s and 70s that resulted as the hostilitie...

community chest

(Encyclopedia)community chest, cooperative organization of citizens and social welfare agencies in a city. Also known as a united fund, it has two purposes: to raise funds through an annual campaign for its member ...

Veterans Affairs, United States Department of

(Encyclopedia)Veterans Affairs, United States Department of, federal executive department established to operate programs to benefit veterans and their families. The department was established in 1989; its predeces...

capitalism

(Encyclopedia)capitalism, economic system based on private ownership of the means of production, in which personal profit can be acquired through investment of capital and employment of labor. Capitalism is grounde...