Glossary for America Divided
Adlai Stevenson. Democratic politician who served ten years in the United States Senate and ran for Governor of Illinois, where he was defeated in the closest gubernatorial election in the state’s history by a margin of 5,074 votes. Known as a reflective, independent senator who lacked charisma but was effective in committee work, and who also sought the Democratic presidential nomination.
Amazon Prime. A membership service offered by Amazon that includes benefits such as video streaming services, with costs subsidized by fees charged to third-party merchants selling on the Amazon platform.
Andrew Jackson. The seventh president of the United States (1767-1845) who served from 1829-1837 as a candidate of the Democratic Party, which he helped found. Known for his military victories including the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812, his destruction of the Second Bank of the United States in the ‘Bank War,’ and his policy of Indian removal including the forced relocation of southeastern tribes west of the Mississippi River.
Barack Obama. U.S. president who attended international summits including the G-20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico in 2012.
Behavior modification. Techniques used to change or control human behavior through conditioning and psychological methods, which can be employed both therapeutically to treat unwanted or self-destructive behaviors and unethically for manipulation or control purposes.
Bill Bradley. A former U.S. Senator who served on the Senate Finance Committee and ran as a Democratic presidential candidate against Al Gore, describing himself as ‘a citizen of the world.’
Bill Gates. American billionaire William Henry Gates III who founded Microsoft Corporation in 1975, which became the world’s largest personal computer software company. He served as chairman and CEO until 2000, then transitioned to part-time work at Microsoft to focus on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which he established after studying the philanthropic work of Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller.
Black Panthers. A black revolutionary organization originally called the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, founded in the 1960s that asserted the right of black people to arm themselves to defend their communities against police brutality, embraced Marxist ideology, operated social programs like free food and health care, and was targeted by FBI counterintelligence operations.
Black Power. A militant political movement and ideology that emerged in the 1960s promoting black pride, political and economic independence, cultural identity, and self-determination for African Americans, moving away from nonviolent protest tactics toward more assertive approaches to combating racial oppression and achieving community control.
COVID-19. An infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that was first identified in December 2019. Most people infected experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without special treatment, though some may become seriously ill requiring medical attention. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets and aerosols when infected people cough, sneeze, speak, or breathe. Symptoms may include cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, body aches, and loss of taste or smell.
Capitalist mobility. The movement of capital and production facilities from one location to another in pursuit of profit, including relocating investments and manufacturing operations to regions or countries with lower wages, growing markets, or other economic advantages.
Charles Murray. An American political scientist and author known for co-writing ‘The Bell Curve’ with Richard Herrnstein, and for writing works such as ‘Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010’ and ‘The Underclass Revisited.’
ChatGPT. A conversational artificial intelligence software application developed by OpenAI that uses large language model technology to generate text, answer questions, write computer code, and assist with various tasks through a dialogue-driven format.
Citizens United. A 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allowed corporations to create super political action committees (PACs) and spend unlimited amounts of money in US elections, fundamentally changing campaign finance law by permitting unrestricted outside political spending by corporations in the electoral process.
Civil Rights Act of 1964. Landmark legislation enacted on July 2, 1964 that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin in the United States. It ended unequal voting registration requirements, racial segregation in schools and workplaces, and discrimination in facilities that serve the general public, formally dismantling the Jim Crow system of discrimination in public accommodations, employment, voting, education, and federally financed activities.
Civil War. A bloody conflict from 1861-1865 when North and South battled over states’ rights and slavery, resulting in more than 500,000 deaths in the deadliest war in US history, beginning with an attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12, 1861.
Cold War America. The period in American history characterized by ideological, economic, political, and military competition with the Soviet Union, during which the U.S. developed a global system of military bases and alliances while pursuing supremacy on a global scale based on concepts of American exceptionalism.
Community Alert Patrol. Groups of community volunteers who patrol neighborhoods to monitor and alert residents about suspicious activities, often using distinctive clothing and vehicles to maintain visibility while coordinating safety efforts with local residents.
David French. An arch-traditional Christian conservative and hardcore conservative ideologue who is described as an unrepentant never-Trumper, representing ‘GOP classic’ ideology as opposed to Trump worship, and who publicly calls out fellow conservative Christians on radical theological movements.
Democratic National Convention. A quadrennial event where the Democratic Party formally nominates its candidate for president of the United States, with delegates, supporters, and demonstrators gathering for a multi-day convention featuring programming, caucus meetings, and the formal acceptance of the party’s presidential nomination.
Detroit. A city in Michigan that was once the fourth-largest city in the United States and had the highest per-capita income in the nation in 1960, known as a major manufacturing center and “Motor City,” but has since experienced severe economic decline with massive population loss, widespread abandonment, and financial crisis.
Divided We Fall: Americas Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. A book by conservative writer David French examining America’s potential for national breakup due to increasing political, cultural, and social divisions, arguing that the drive for domination by political factions puts national unity at risk and could lead to secession.
Early-liberal societies. Societies that emerged during the transition from traditional hierarchical systems to modern liberal democracies, characterized by political coalitions between relatively flexible aristocracies and middle classes with market experience, the development of representative government and capitalism to limited extents, and the gradual establishment of property rights and republican institutions over centuries.
Elon Musk. CEO and largest shareholder of SpaceX and Tesla, owner of X (formerly Twitter), and one of the world’s richest individuals worth approximately $221 billion. A serial entrepreneur involved in ventures ranging from electric vehicles and space exploration to social media platforms and brain-computer interfaces through Neuralink.
FTX. A cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2019 that quickly became the second largest in the world before collapsing in 2022 due to financial crimes and misuse of customer funds, resulting in bankruptcy and criminal convictions of its leadership including founder Sam Bankman-Fried.
Federalist elites. Wealthy and educated supporters of the Federalist ideology who believed that the “best people” – those who were most educated and financially owned the country – should rule, supporting a strong federal government that would maintain their vested interests at the top while building a centralized national system.
Gamers. Highly competitive, success-driven individuals who emerged during the global era, characterized by intense instrumentalism, one-sided striving for power, wealth, and prestige, willingness to work extremely long hours, and sophisticated organizational and technological skills that enabled them to thrive in agile corporate structures of the global economy.
Gaming class. A social upper class comprising approximately the top 5 percent of the population in developed societies, characterized by individualistic higher self-management and competitive, market-honed characters who have attained positions of dominance across institutions through prestigious educations and executive or professional roles.
Gaming morality. A form of radical moral relativism adopted by elite cultural and intellectual figures characterized by skepticism toward traditional moral authority, belief that moral judgments are arbitrary, and tendency to avoid absolute moral standards while focusing primarily on self-interest rather than societal well-being.
G3P. Global public-private partnership initiatives that include programs like the Energy Transition Accelerator (ETA) and investment strategies that force developing nations to accept renewable energy systems while creating opportunities for profit from commodity markets.
Gandhian. Relating to or following the ideas and principles of Mahatma Gandhi, including nonviolence (ahimsa), self-rule (swaraj), local self-reliance (swadeshi), sustainable living, minimal environmental damage, village-centered economy, and the uplift of the poor (sarvodaya), emphasizing that there is enough for everybody’s need but not for everybody’s greed.
Gene Sharp. Political scientist and theorist who was a leading expert on non-violent protest and resistance, founded the Albert Einstein Institution, and advised various independence and resistance movements including Baltic countries during their separation from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
Generationally segregated media. Media content or platforms that are separated or divided by different age groups or generations.
Global Era. A 51-year period characterized by pax americana, global capitalism, democracy, and multiculturalism, during which traditional communities weakened as societies became more interconnected through technology and global migration, ultimately leading to national disintegration and moral decline before ending around 2016.
Global Public-Private Partnership. A global network of stakeholder capitalists and partners, including global corporations, philanthropic foundations, think tanks, governments, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, global charities, labor unions and selected thought leaders that fosters cooperation between international intergovernmental organizations and private companies to control global finance, set world policies via global governance, and promote these policies through corporate media partners.
Globalism. A vast interlocking system of technology, telecommunications, economics, culture, and politics constructed by a transnational elite that seeks the free movement of people, goods, and ideas, the diminution of borders and national sovereignty, and the establishment of a global economic model and value system.
Grand moral cycle. A pattern of moral decline and corruption that has historically afflicted traditional hierarchical societies throughout millennia, contributing to the fall of great civilizations like Rome, Chinese dynasties, and the Ottoman Empire, characterized by the rise of unscrupulous ruling classes that exploit other classes and resist reform until societal collapse.
Great Society. An idea that all people should have the same fundamental starting place and infrastructure, with healthcare, housing, education, and livable wages viewed as universal human rights for everyone.
H.L. Mencken. An American journalist and critic known for his sharp criticism of politicians, government, and American culture, who wrote extensively about war propaganda and offered sage advice for citizens judging government officials, particularly through his antiwar writings such as ‘The Art of Selling War’ (1939).
Hillary Clinton. Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee who ran against Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and faced controversies including classified emails on a private server during her tenure as Secretary of State.
Howard University. One of America’s most prestigious historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Hubert Humphrey. American politician who served as Senate majority whip in the 1960s, championing civil rights and social programs, then as Vice President under Lyndon B. Johnson from 1964-1968, and as the Democratic presidential nominee in 1968 who lost to Richard Nixon after refusing to break with Johnson’s Vietnam War policies.
Ivy League. A group of elite academic institutions that have dominated American political and legal leadership, with graduates holding most presidential positions and Supreme Court seats in recent decades, and whose admissions processes select for students who follow rules faithfully and connect well with authority figures.
Jack Welch. Former CEO of General Electric who led the company for nearly two decades and was called the ‘CEO of the century,’ known for using financial engineering and accounting tricks to boost stock prices while cutting jobs, sending work overseas, and reducing research and development, ultimately contributing to GE’s long-term decline.
Jim Crow. A system of racial segregation and discrimination that operated primarily in the Southern United States, described as a racial caste system that enforced separate and unequal treatment of African Americans following the end of Reconstruction.
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. A graduate school at Johns Hopkins University where students can pursue advanced degrees including PhDs in international studies, offering programs taught by notable faculty and serving as a training ground for professionals in international relations and foreign policy.
Judeo-Christian heritage. A concept that conveys a connection between Christians and Jews based on a common biblical foundation of faith, including the same God and prophets, though some view it as a Western, mid-20th century construct that privileges certain groups while excluding others such as Islam from the broader Abrahamic tradition.
Kerner Commission. A presidential commission officially called the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967 and chaired by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner Jr. to investigate the causes of riots across America and prevent future civil unrest. The commission concluded that America was divided into ‘two nations, one black, and one white,’ and that institutional anti-black racism was ultimately responsible for the riots.
King Abdullah of Jordan. King of Jordan who assumed the crown in 1999 upon the death of his father, Hussein. Educated at military academy and the University of Oxford, he is married to Kuwaiti-born Palestinian wife Rania. Rules over a country of 10 million people that serves as an important U.S. ally and receives billions in aid from the U.S., European Union, and other nations, particularly for Palestinian and Syrian refugees.
Los Angeles Police Department. A municipal police department (LAPD) that serves Los Angeles, California, with approximately 10,000 members and experience managing large-scale public demonstrations, investigations, and law enforcement operations in collaboration with other agencies and community organizations.
Lyft. A ride-hailing company that operates an app-based platform connecting drivers with passengers, competing with companies like Uber in the transportation network industry.
Lyndon B. Johnson. The 36th President of the United States (1963-1969), also known as LBJ, who became president after John F. Kennedy’s assassination and had previously served as Kennedy’s vice president from 1961-1963. A Southern Democrat from Texas who served in Congress for over 23 years, Johnson created the Great Society programs aimed at expanding civil rights and reducing poverty, though his presidency was marred by the Vietnam War.
Make America Great Again. A political slogan and movement that emerged during Donald Trump’s 2015-16 presidential campaign, reflecting public displeasure with previous administrations and marking a break from traditional Republican orthodoxies through policies emphasizing border security, deregulation, selective tariffs, and opposition to nation-building abroad.
Martin Luther King Jr. Civil rights and antiwar leader (1929-1968) who became the most well-known and respected leader of the mass civil rights movement, beginning with the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56. He led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, while supporting a sanitation workers strike.
Moral consensus. Agreement among members of a society on shared norms, virtues, and moral standards that guides collective behavior and social cohesion.
Moral marketplace. A sociocultural environment where traditional moral consensus has weakened and individuals must choose their own path among numerous competing norms, virtues, and ways of life, resulting from increased diversity, mobility, and the displacement of shared moral authority.
Moral markets. Markets that emerged when traditional moral restrictions were removed, creating a wide-open marketplace where people must find their own path among diverse norms, virtues, and ways of life, resulting in weakened moral consensus and increased personal freedom alongside social casualties.
National Era. A period in United States history from the country’s origins through the early 1960s characterized by broad social consensus and unity, presided over by White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) whose culture served as esteemed norms, ending with the passage of the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965 and the subsequent Watts riot.
National Guard. A military force that exists in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, with troops recruited from the jurisdictions in which they live and serve as neighbors and co-workers of the people they protect during emergencies, rescue operations, riots, forest fires, and other crises.
Newark. A city in New Jersey that has served as a testing ground for education reform initiatives and has faced challenges including police misconduct investigations, violent crime, and financial troubles.
Nobel Peace Prize. A prestigious award given annually to individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions to peace, though controversial selections have included both nonviolent human rights advocates and powerful political figures involved in war or conflict resolution.
Populist political backlash. A political reaction characterized by opposition to established elites and traditional policies, involving both left and right-wing movements that challenge trade agreements, government surveillance, overseas interventions, and globalization while expressing anger over inequality and economic policies that favor special interests over ordinary citizens.
Public morality. Shared standards about what sorts of activities are impermissible because they so fundamentally violate trust that they threaten to undermine the social fabric, particularly regarding the behavior of those in leading positions in the private sector and their accountability to the nation.
Rap Brown. Reference to H. Rap Brown, as mentioned in discussions about civil rights activism and the Black freedom struggle, though specific biographical details are not provided in the source material.
Regulatory states. Governmental systems where federal agencies have extensive authority to create and enforce rules and regulations, with agencies issuing an average of 19 rules for each law passed by Congress and creating thousands of regulatory provisions that can constrain business behavior and economic activity.
Restoration. The process of returning a country or society to normalcy and stability following a period of devastation, decline, or crisis, often involving fundamental changes to remedy problems and restore foundational principles.
Robert Kennedy. Attorney General under his brother President John F. Kennedy and then under Lyndon Johnson until 1965, known for his commitment to peace, development, cooperation, and racial justice. He ran for president in 1968 and was assassinated on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, one day after winning the California Democratic primary.
Roe v. Wade. A landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that recognized women have a fundamental constitutional right to choose whether to terminate their pregnancies until the point of fetal viability, based on privacy and liberty protections in the Constitution. This precedent protected abortion rights nationwide for nearly 50 years until it was overturned by the Supreme Court in June 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Roman Catholic Church. A Christian religious institution centered in Rome that claims to be the one true form of Christianity, organized like a state with the papacy as its institutional foundation, characterized as one, holy, catholic, apostolic, and Roman, and led by the Pope who perpetuates Christ’s historical mission.
Ron Karenga. Head of the US organization who was convicted of felony assault in 1971 for kidnapping and torturing two women members and was imprisoned until 1975, but later became associated with the holiday known as Kwanzaa.
Ronald Reagan. 40th President of the United States who served during the 1980s, known for his conservative ideology, anti-Soviet stance during the Cold War, economic policies, and involvement in various foreign policy controversies including arms deals with Iran and support for anti-communist forces.
Sam Bankman-Fried. Former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for multiple felony offenses including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, and money laundering conspiracy following the collapse of his crypto exchange in November 2022, which resulted in billions of dollars in customer assets being lost or misappropriated.
Sam Walton. Founder of Wal-Mart who became America’s richest man, known for his folksy manner and anti-union stance, threatening to fire workers and shut down facilities if they voted to unionize.
Screen New Deal. This term does not appear in the provided source material.
Stage One. An important first step forward in a process or sequence of events.
Steve Jobs. Co-founder of Apple Computer who was known as a college dropout and counterculture figure, but later became CEO and oversaw the development of products like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. He gave a famous Stanford commencement speech in 2005 and died of pancreatic cancer on October 5, 2011, having introduced the iPhone in 2007.
Stokely Carmichael. Civil rights activist and Howard University graduate who was arrested 27 times between 1960 and 1966 for his involvement in major civil rights actions including freedom rides and sit-ins. Originally committed to nonviolent tactics through the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), he later evolved into a Black Power revolutionary advocating for black political self-determination and self-defense after becoming disillusioned with the political system and experiencing white supremacist violence.
Sunni-Shia sectarian war. A modern political and military conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslim communities, particularly involving central governments and opposing sectarian groups, that has been exacerbated by regional power struggles between countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, western military interventions, and proxy wars since the 1980s.
Supreme Court. The highest court in the United States, consisting of nine justices who serve lifetime positions and are appointed by the president with Senate approval, responsible for making constitutional interpretations that guide the nation’s legal and social direction.
TCC. Transnational Corporate Class – the financial elites who are directors of banks and asset management firms that operate within global money management systems, seeking maximum return on investment with vast interconnected scope and influence.
TaskRabbit. A gig platform that allows people to hire workers via app for various services such as childcare or furniture assembly, representing part of an economy where traditional jobs are replaced by contracted work arranged through digital platforms.
The Anatomy of Revolution. A framework for analyzing the structure, costs, and consequences of revolutionary movements, examining how the overthrow of existing regimes often leads to violence, terror, and the rise of new forms of oppression, as demonstrated by historical examples like the French Revolution, Russian Revolution, and other major upheavals.
The Hunger Games. A dystopian fictional series depicting a stratified society where wealthy elites in the Capitol control subjugated districts through fear, forcing children to participate in televised death matches as punishment for past rebellion and to maintain regime stability.
Tony Blair. Former British Prime Minister who served from 1997 to 2007, known for leading the UK into the Iraq War in 2003 and advancing neoliberal policies through the Labour Party. After leaving office, he worked as Middle East envoy from 2007-2015 and joined JPMorgan Chase in an advisory role, while continuing to advocate for various political positions including digital governance initiatives.
US Organization. An organization based in or associated with the United States.
Voting Rights Act. A landmark federal civil rights law passed in 1965 that abolished literacy tests and poll taxes designed to disenfranchise African American voters, gave the federal government authority to oversee voter registration in areas with persistent discrimination, and prohibits racial discrimination in voting, though it has been weakened by federal court decisions over the past decade.
WASPs. White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, typically from established upper-class families who were historically considered America’s ruling class, often characterized by prep school and Ivy League education, residence on the eastern seaboard, and membership in exclusive social institutions.
Watts. A unit of electrical power measurement, with examples including heated seats consuming 50 watt-hours each, exterior lighting systems using 48.80 watt-hours, and car stereos reaching up to 100 watts of power.
Watts riot. A major racial uprising in August 1965 in a 46.5 square mile area of Los Angeles County that lasted seven days, resulting in 34 deaths, over 1,000 injuries, 3,000 arrests, and destruction of about 1,000 buildings, occurring one week after President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Welfare state. A system in which the government provides citizens with entitlement rights to benefits such as food, shelter, health care, and retirement income, creating mutual obligations between the state and its citizens and extending the role of government in social and economic life.
Western civilization. A civilization traditionally associated with Western Europe and America that is characterized by science-based decisions, democracy, and cultural developments, but lacks a unified territorial base unlike past civilizations that developed from specific city-states or nations.
Womens March. A series of demonstrations where women and allies took to the streets in cities worldwide to oppose the Trump administration and advocate for women’s rights, reproductive health, and other progressive causes, with the largest single-day demonstration occurring in 2017 following Trump’s inauguration.
World Economic Forum. An organization founded by Klaus Schwab in 1971 that brings together CEOs of major corporations, politicians, bankers, and other influential figures for annual meetings in Davos, Switzerland to discuss global economic and social issues and shape international policy.
World Trade Organization. An international organization created on January 1, 1995 as a replacement for GATT that serves as a global government for world trade, severely restricting member nations’ ability to direct their own economies and set their own trade policies, with 153 nations representing more than 97% of total world trade as members.
Yascha Mounk. One of the world’s leading experts on the crisis of liberal democracy and the rise of populism, who is an associate professor of the practice of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University, a contributing editor at The Atlantic, a senior fellow at the Council for Foreign Relations, the founder of the Persuasion newsletter, and host of The Good Fight podcast.
