Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Conservative Dictionary Project (P)

2011-09-09T01:45:33Z

PhilS33: alternate spelling

: '''patriotism'''
:[[Essay:Best New Conservative Words|Conservative word]]
:Date: 1729
:''True conservative meaning'' - love for one's country
:''False liberal redefinition'' - a militaristic and jingoistic belief in the superiority of one's own nation

:'''Person'''
:''True conservative meaning'' - A human or corporation (See [[Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission]])
:''False liberal redefinition'' - A human only, ignoring corporations

: '''privatize'''
:[[Essay:Best New Conservative Words|Conservative word]]
:Date: 1940
:''True conservative meaning'' - to give an industry over from the state to private control
:''False liberal redefinition'' - handing over an industry from government, which is accountable to the people, to unaccountable private tyrannies known as corporations
:''False liberal respelling'' - "privatise"

{{ConservativeDictionary}}

World History Study Guide to 1648

2011-09-03T00:28:20Z

PhilS33: claryify meaning of "comedy"

<sup>This is the growing list of study terms for [[World History Lectures|World history]], from creation to 1648 (the same midpoint used by the [[CLEP]] exams).

This should grow from 339 (175 of them are honors) to 500 terms -- about half basic and half honors -- and every term should be described in the table. ''An examination on this material will be given in November 2011''.

==Basic terms==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Term
!Definition
|-
|[[Abraham]]
|Aprx. 2000 B.C. Father of Jewish people; God made a covenant with him to make his descendants great in number. Arabs claim descendance from Abraham's son Ishmael.
|-
|[[Acropolis]]
|Portion of a town or city that is built on a hilltop for easy defense. Best known Acropolis is in Athens, where the democratic assembly met. Most Greek city-states had an Acropolis.
|-
|[[Aesop]]
|Ethiopian slave in 600s B.C. in Greece. Famous for ''Aesop's Fables'', such as "The Fox and the Grapes" and "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing".
|-
|[[Alexander the Great]]
|356 - 323 B.C. Born to Philip II of Macedon and tutored by [[Aristotle]]. Conquered Greece, Egypt, Persia, and more, but turned back at India. Alexander's conquests spread Greek culture and language and helped the future spread of [[Christianity]].
|-
|[[Analects]]
|The analects are a record of the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, written and compiled by his disciples circa 400-300 B.C.
|-
|[[Ancient world]]
|Civilized world before the fall of the [[Roman Empire]] in AD 476.
|-
|[[Anselm]]
|A Christian philosopher, founder of scholasticism, and archbishop of Canterbury
|-
|[[Archimedes]]
|287 – 212 B.C. Greek mathematician and engineer. Discovered Archimedes' Principle, invented "Archimedes' screw," and built defenses against the Romans for his city of Syracuse; killed by the Romans.
|-
|[[Aristocracy]]
|"Rule by the best": aristocrats were generally wealthy and privileged. European feudal government resembled aristocracy, and some governments in ancient Greece were aristocracies.
|-
|[[Aristotle]]
|384 to 322 B.C. Greek [[philosopher]], student of [[Plato]] and tutor to Alexander the Great. Focused on experience with the physical world; studied biology and founded a school, the Lyceum, resembling a university with specimens and a library.
|-
|[[Assyrian Empire]]
|1400-605 B.C. First dependent on Babylonia, then became an independent state, and finally an empire. Known for cruelty, especially to the Hebrews. Captured northern Kingdom of Israel in 722, but destroyed by Medians in the 600s.
|-
|[[Athens]]
|Greek city-state. Democracy begun by Pericles in 5th century B.C. Previously ruled by aristocrats. First democracy in the world and a great naval power. Rival with Persia but united to defeat invading Persians.
|-
|[[Attila the Hun]]
|Last and greatest ruler of the Huns. Fought against the eastern Roman Empire and then fought the western Roman Empire throughout the mid AD 400s. Almost defeated, but then almost sacked Rome; turned away by Pope Leo I.
|-
|[[Augustus Caesar]]
|63 B.C. - A.D. 14. Succeeded Julius Caesar and became first Roman Emperor. Ruler during the birth of Christ. Defeated Mark Antony for rule of Rome.
|-
|[[Babylon]]
|The major Mesopotamian city in the ancient Middle East. Greatest ruler was Hammurabi. Developed Cuneiform, used base-60 numbers, and defeated ancient Sumer about 2000 B.C. Later cruel to Hebrews.
|-
|[[Babylonia]]
|State and Empire created by Babylon. First empire existed from 1900-1600 B.C. Resurged as the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 625-538 B.C. Imposed [[Babylonian Exile]] on Hebrews.
|-
|[[Bible]]
|Collection of Hebrew (Old Testament) and Christian (New Testament) Scriptures. Foretells the coming of a Messiah for the Hebrews, and recounts ancient history including the Tower of Babel and the Great Flood.
|-
|Brahman/Brahmin
|''Brahman'': the ultimate god or existence in Hinduism, of which all existence is somehow a part, or from which all comes; ''Brahmin'': the highest class for families in the Hindu caste system
|-
|[[Bronze Age]]
|It is the age referred to during which time bronze was the common metal used in people's everyday lives. It was used for jewelry, tools, utensils, weapons, and it helped enable the introduction of the plough.
|-
|[[Buddhism]]
|It is a belief system which teaches that desire causes suffering and if desire is eliminated, enlightenment and Nirvana are attained.
|-
|[[Byzantine Empire]]
|It was the eastern part of the Roman Empire that split away. It outlasted the Western half by 1000 years due to its greater financial resources.
|-
|[[Carthage]]
|A city off the coast of Africa whose rivalry with Rome led to the three Punic Wars at the end of which Carthage was destroyed and decreed never to be rebuilt.
|-
|[[Caste]]
|It is a social rank in Hinduism. Brahmans are priests and scholars, Kshatriya are rulers, Vaishya are peasants, and Shudra are serfs. Good karma enables one to improve his caste in the next life.
|-
|[[Celts]]
|A people who had lived and had controlled parts of Europe including Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales since the early Iron Age
|-
|[[Chaldeans]]
|The ancient Babylonians
|-
|[[Charlemagne]]
|King of the Franks from 768 AD to 814 AD, and Holy Roman Emperor from 800 AD; he greatly expanded both his empire and Christianity during his rule.
|-
|[[China]]
|The world's oldest major civilization
|-
|[[city-states]]
|Small nations consisting of only a single city each; common in ancient Greece. Examples included Sparta, Athens and Corinth. They fought each other, but also banned together to defeat the Persians when that great empire sought to absorb Greece.
|-
|[[Civilization]]
|A group of people who live in an area. They have agriculture, currency, a government and laws, and an economy.
|-
|[[Classical Civilizations]]
|Ancient Mediterranean civilizations that were generally pre-Christian, such as Rome, Greece, and Egypt
|-
|[[Classicism]]
|A Renaissance movement in the arts, looking back to ancient Rome and Greece for inspiration
|-
|[[Code of Manu]]
|Hindu law containing rules and codes of conduct.
|-
|[[Colosseum]]
|A massive stadium in Rome that was used to hold gladiatorial contests, chariot racing and killing Christians for entertainment.
|-
|[[Comedy]]
|In a classical sense, a play with a happy ending. All classical plays were either a "comedy" or a "tragedy". You should bear in mind that classical "comedy" was not at all funny in the modern sense of the word; the advent of true humor accompanied the rise of Christianity (see [[Essay:Greatest Mysteries of World History|here]]).
|-
|[[Confucius]]
|A very famous Chinese philosopher who came up with many ideas about ethics and social conduct
|-
|[[Constantine]]
|The first Christian emperor of Rome who legalized Christianity and ended the persecution of Christians
|-
|[[Constantinople]]
|Modern day Istanbul, it was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire from 330 AD. Also known as Byzantium.
|-
|[[Council of Nicaea]]
|A council of bishops called by Constantine to obtain agreement on various aspects of Christianity such as the doctrine of the Trinity and the role of the Roman Bishop (the Pope).
|-
|[[cuneiform]]
|The earliest known form of writing.
|-
|[[David]]
|Second king of Israel and a descendant of Jesus Christ. He was chosen by God to replace Saul and he expands the kingdom of Israel greatly.
|-
|[[Dharma]]
|The laws of religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism
|-
|[[Diaspora]]
|The migration or scattering of a people away from their ancestral home.
|-
|[[Direct Democracy]]
|laws are made by votes of the citizens, rather than by elected officials. Athens of ancient Greece was the first direct democracy.
|-
|[[Dorians]]
|tribes that settled Greece between 1100 and 1000 B.C., having a military ruling class that oppressed the local people some cities even after the Greeks established democracy in Athens. The "Doric order" is the simplest form of Greek architecture, consisting of a straight column without any artistic trim at the top.
|-
|[[Early agriculture]]
|Crops such as grain being grown in places such as Egypt
|-
|[[Edict of Milan]]
|a political proclamation that fully legalized Christianity (and all other religions) throughout the Roman Empire. This edict was issued by Constantine I in 313 AD, shortly after the end of the Diocletian persecutions against Christians.
|-
|[[Egypt]]
|One of the oldest civilizations in recorded history, going back over 5,000 years
|-
|[[Eightfold Path]]
|The Buddhist path to reach the end of suffering
|-
|[[Enlightened One]]
|A translation of the name Buddha
|-
|[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]
|A Sumerian poem preserved on stone tablets with a story bearing great resemblance to Noah's ark
|-
|[[Euclid]]
|A Greek mathematician and the father of geometry
|-
|[[Fertile Crescent]]
|An area of land in the Middle East area where it was easier to grow crops
|-
|[[Four Noble Truths]]
|Important principles in [[Buddhism]]
|-
|[[Gentiles]]
|The term for people who are not of Israeli descent.
|-
|[[Gracchi brothers]]
|Two tribunes of ancient Rome who wanted to help the poor by redistributing land from the rich
|-
|[[Great Wall of China]]
|A large wall created in Ancient China to keep invaders out of the country
|-
|[[Greek drama]]
|Theatrical tradition of ancient Greece between 600 and 400 B.C. with two main types: comedies (good ending) and tragedies (bad ending)
|-
|[[Greek empire]]
|An important empire that produced some of the first works of literature and mythology that has impacted culture today
|-
|[[Gupta empire]]
|An empire that covered much of modern India and Pakistan that came up with algebra, the concepts of zero and infinity, and the numbers 1-9
|-
|[[Hammurabi]]
|King of Babylon who developed the Code of Hammurabi, based on the concept of an eye for an eye
|-
|[[Hannibal]]
|Military commander who planned attacks against Rome and Spain
|-
|[[Hebrews]]
|God's chosen people, and the ancestors of the Israelites
|-
|[[heliocentric]]
|A theory where the Sun is the center of the universe.
|-
|[[Hellenistic]]
|Relating to Greek culture, particularly in lands beyond Greece as conquered by Alexander the Great beginning in 335 B.C.
|-
|[[Hieroglyphics]]
|A phonetic alphabet that uses the pictographic symbols to represent both an object and/or a phonetic sound. This language was developed by the ancient Egyptians .
|-
|[[Hinduism]]
|A major religion. It is polytheistic and is practiced in many places, most notably India.
|-
|[[Hippocrates]]
|"The father of medicine", developed the [[Hippocratic Oath]] which all medical students worldwide take as a condition of graduation.
|-
|[[Holy Roman Empire]]
|Sometimes called the First Reich; it lasted from 900 to 1806 AD, and included the territory in Europe that was loosely under the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor. In practice, the constituent states ruled themselves.
|-
|[[Homer]]
|An early Greek poet, famous for lengthy sagas such as ''Iliad'' and ''The Odyssey''.
|-
|[[Huns]]
|A tribe of people who fought with the Romans in what is now the Ukraine. They were considered by many Romans to be the most ferocious of enemies
|-
|[[Ideograms]]
|A graphic symbol representing a concept or an idea
|-
|[[India]]
|A country that was home to the Indus Valley civilization and dates back over 3,000 years
|-
|[[Indus River Valley]]
|A fertile valley that was home to an ancient civilization and is modern Pakistan and northwestern India
|-
|[[Iron Age]]
|An era where tools and weapons were made primarily out of iron
|-
|[[Isaac]]
|The promised son born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. The father of the Israeli people.
|-
|[[Ishmael]]
|The son born to Abraham and Sarah's servant, Hagar. Ishmael is revered by Muslims as an ancestor who was unfairly treated as an outcast after Isaac was subsequently born to Abraham and Sarah.
|-
|[[Israel]]
|The chosen nation of God and place where most events of the Bible took place
|-
|[[Jainism]]
|A Dharmic religion that stresses non-violence
|-
|[[Jesus]]
|The Holy Messiah of the Christian faith, and the only son of God who was promised to save all humanity. He was the only founder of a religion to perform miracles to cure the suffering, the only one to emphasize the power of faith, and the only one to give up His life for the salvation of others.
|-
|[[Joan of Arc]]
|17 year old girl who heard God calling her to lead the French army against the English in the 15th century. Was later canonized by the Catholic Church
|-
|[[Judah, Kingdom of]]
|the southern kingdom of a divided Israel
|-
|[[Julius Caesar]]
|A political leader who laid out the groundwork for the future Roman Empire, and also provided the foundation of the Gregorian calendar
|-
|[[Justinian]] I/the [[Justinian Code]]
|Eastern Roman Emperor from 527 to 565 who developed the Justinian Code, which is the basis of civil law in many places
|-
|[[Karma]]
|In Hinduism, everything a person has done. Determines status in the next life
|-
|[[Latin]]
|The language spoken in Rome. It has been influential in contributing to many modern day European languages, including English
|-
|[[Niccolo Machiavelli]]
|An Italian political theorist and author, known for his book ''The Prince'', which showed how a self-serving ruler will follow the policy that the "end justifies the means."
|-
|[[Magna Carta]]
|A charter of personal and political liberties granted to the barons by King John of England in June 1215.
|-
|[[Maize]]
|Corn, first grown by Native Americans
|-
|[[Mandate of Heaven]]
|Chinese mandate that held that the gods blessed good rulers and overthrew bad ones
|-
|[[manor]]
|Under feudalism during the Middle Ages, a manor was a farm owned by a lord who had peasants to do the work and pay him rent in exchange for food, shelter and protection
|-
|[[Marc Antony]]
|A Roman commander and close friend of Caesar. He was in the lst civil war of the Roman Republic
|-
|[[Martin Luther]]
|An important Christian figure who launched the Protestant Reformation and founded the Lutheran Church. He was responsible for the first major split from the Catholic Church
|-
|[[Mauryan Empire]]
|A Buddhist empire covering much of modern India
|-
|[[Mesoamerica]]
|Mexico and Central America, where Pre-Columbian (before Christopher Columbus' exploration in 1492) civilizations existed
|-
|[[Mesopotamia]]
|Modern-day [[Iraq]], where civilization first appeared
|-
|[[Messiah]]
|Essentially means anointed by God. Jesus Christ is the Messiah of Christianity
|-
|[[Michelangelo]]
|A Renaissance painter and sculptor, known for his paintings on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, among other masterpieces. The archetypal Renaissance man.
|-
|[[Middle Ages]]
|A period of time, also called the Medieval Ages, spanning from approximately 500 AD to 1500 AD, where kingdoms were ruled by the system of [[feudalism]]
|-
|[[Middle Kingdom]]
|Egyptian kingdom known for its works and ideas that ended due to a civil war
|-
|[[monotheism]]
|The belief in a religion worshipping only one god. [[Christianity]], [[Judaism]], and [[Islam]] are monotheistic religions.
|-
|[[Moses]]
|The prophet who led the Israelites out of Egypt. He also brought the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, and is credited with writing the first five books of the Bible
|-
|[[New Kingdom]]
|Ancient Egypt at the time of Moses, where many buildings were built primarily with slave labor
|-
|[[Nicene Creed]]
|A core statement of Christianity that asserts the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Ghost
|-
|[[Nirvana]]
|The ultimate goal of Buddhism, the end of all suffering
|-
|[[Old Kingdom]]
|The ancient Egyptian kingdom that built the famous pyramids
|-
|[[Olympics (Ancient Greek)]]
|An ancient Greek sporting event first held in 776 B.C., establishing the beginning of the Greek civilization
|-
|[[Paul]]
|An apostle of Jesus, and the only one not to have seen Him in the flesh. He went to different churches and wrote letters that make up a part of the New Testament of the Bible
|-
|[[Pax Romana]]
|27 B.C.-180 A.D. A time of peace for the Roman Empire
|-
|[[Peloponnesian War]]
|War fought between Athens and Sparta, 431-404 B.C. The war was ultimately won by Sparta and its allies
|-
|[[Pentateuch]]
|The first five books of the modern Bible, believed to have been written by Moses
|-
|[[Persian empire]]
|A large empire stretching from India to southern Europe and Egypt
|-
|[[Persian Wars]]
|Wars between Persia (modern-day Iran) and Greek city-states such as Athens and Sparta
|-
|[[Peter]]
|A disciple and apostle of Jesus, who taught in areas such as Jerusalem and Palestine
|-
|[[pharaoh]]
|The ruler of Ancient Egypt
|-
|[[Philip of Macedon]]
|King of Macedonia, and father of Alexander the Great who arranged for him to be homeschooled. Philip lived from 359 to 336 B.C., and his son succeeded him in power.
|-
|[[Philistines]]
|Group of people occupying the land of Canaan. Enemies of Israel and God.
|-
|[[Phoenicians]]
|An ancient people who lived and traded goods on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and who developed a new language based on an alphabet of 22 letters. All Western alphabets, such as English and French and Italian and Greek and Latin, are based on it.
|-
|[[Plato]]
|Athenian philosopher who wrote several treatises on philosophy, logic, ethics, rhetoric, and mathematics. He founded the Academy, of which Aristotle was the most famous student.
|-
|[[polis]]
|The name for city-states in Ancient Greece
|-
|[[polytheism]]
| A religion with many Gods. This was the norm in ancient times until Judaism and Christianity emerged
|-
|[[Ptolemy]]
|Greek mathematician, geographer, astronomer, and astrologer
|-
|[[Punic Wars]]
|Enabled the Roman republic to gain control of the Mediterranean Sea and access to many goods
|-
|[[pyramids]]
|A structure with 3 or more triangular-shaped sides and a base that is either a triangle, a rectangle or some other polygon. These structures have been built for thousands of years, in such diverse areas as Egypt, Mexico, North America, China and India. Pyramids have either smooth sides, like the famous pyramids in Egypt, or stepped sides similar to those built by the Mayans in Mexico.
|-
|[[Reformation]]
|Events that led to the separation of Catholic and Protestant churches
|-
|[[Renaissance]]
|A revival in the arts and in Greek and Roman literature, and more of a focus on the current life
|-
|[[Roman empire]]
|Transition of Rome from a republic to having an emperor, starting with the appointment of Augustus Caesar as ruler in 27 B.C.
|-
|[[Roman republic]]
|The first republic, located in Rome, and the basis of many principles of the government of the United States
|-
|[[Rome]]
|The capital city of the Roman Empire, and of modern day Italy. Founded by Romulus and Remus, who supposedly fought over which one of them the city would be named after. Romulus killed his brother and had the city named after himself.
|-
|[[Rosetta Stone]]
|Ancient text written on stone in three different languages that enabled the first translations of Egyptian hieroglyphics
|-
|[[Royal Road]]
|Ancient Persian highway rebuilt by Darius the Great
|-
|[[Saul]]
|The first king of Israel appointed by God. He turned out to be a very flawed character, afflicted by jealousy for David.
|-
|[[Scholasticism]]
|Christian doctrines about man popular in the Middle Ages
|-
|[[Scientific Revolution]]
|The beginning of modern science in the mid-1500s
|-
|[[Senate]]
|The dominant force of the Roman Republic's government.
|-
|[[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]]
|A listing of the most impressive public works in the world written by Greek writer Antipater in the 2nd century B.C.
|-
|[[Siddhartha Guatama]]
|The Buddha, and the founder of the religion of Buddhism
|-
|[[Silk Road]]
|A trade route from East China to Central Asia and Europe
|-
|[[Socrates]]
|An Athenian philosopher who believed that the world we experience is a poor substitute for reality. His philosophy inspired Plato and in turn Aristotle, and became the accepted Orthodoxy until modern times.
|-
|[[Solomon]]
|Third king of Israel. Wrote ''Proverbs'', ''Ecclesiastes'' and ''Song of Solomon''.
|-
|[[Sparta]]
|A Greek city-state well-known for its military prowess. Fought (and won) the Peloponnesian war against Athens.
|-
|[[Spread of Buddhism]]
|Buddhism traveled outside of India along the Silk Road
|-
|[[St. Augustine]]
|A father of the Christian church
|-
|[[Sumer]]
|Homeland of the Sumerians, located in Mesopotania, in present-day Iraq
|-
|[[Sumerians]]
|The earliest civilizations living in the Middle East; invented many things including the first known form of writing
|-
|[[Sun Tzu]]
|Wrote ''The Art of War'', a Chinese book on military strategy.
|-
|[[Taoism (Daoism)]]
|Chinese philosophy of seeking harmony with nature
|-
|[[Ten Commandments]]
|The laws of the God of Israel handed down to Moses
|-
|[[Theocracy]]
|A government ruled by the laws of a specific religion
|-
|[[Thomas Aquinas]]
|An Italian Christian philosopher whose ideas were influential in developing complex Christian theology.
|-
|[[Thirty Years' War]]
|Primarily a religious conflict as Catholic states sought to suppress Protestantism. It began as a fight between Bohemian Protestants and Hapsburg Catholics in 1618, and soon became a political conflict for power that included Spain, Holland, Denmark, France, Sweden, and The Habsburgs of the Holy Roman Empire. The war ended with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648.
|-
|[[Thucydides]]
|Greek scientific historian, wrote ''History of the Peloponnesian War'', the first work of historical analysis
|-
|[[Torah]]
|The Jewish name for the five books of Moses, meaning Law. The first five books of the modern Bible.
|-
|[[Tragedy]]
|A type of drama and/or poetic saga that was common in Ancient Greece. It normally followed the fall of a character, often because of a specific character flaw such as envy or greed. The production and study of tragedies was very important in early philosophical movements, particularly that of Aristotle
|-
|[[Vedas]]
|Holy books of Hinduism
|-
|[[Virgil]]
|Well-known Roman poet and philosopher
|-
|[[Vishnu]]
|Supreme god of Hinduism
|-
|[[Visigoths]]
|A confederacy of Germanic tribes who were ultimately fell to the Moors
|-
|[[Warring States Period]]
|War period in China also known for the philosophical schools that flourished
|-
|[[Yahweh]]
|God as described in the [[Old Testament]], written as YHWH in the original Hebrew.
|-
|[[Yin and Yang]]
|Daoist idea that everything in the universe stays in harmony
|-
|[[Zhou dynasty]]
|771 to 221 B.C. Longest lasting Chinese dynasty. Confucius lived during it.
|-
|[[Ziggurat]]
|Manmade step-sided structures resembling pyramids that were built in Mesopotamia
|-
|[[Zoroastrianism]]
|Dualistic religion founded between 1200 to 600 B.C. in what is now modern Iran
|-
|}

==Honors terms==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Term
!Definition
|-
|[[Aeschylus]]
|The oldest of the three great Athenian tragic playwrights (next to [[Sophocles]] and [[Euripides]]), BC 525-456.
|-
|[[Age of Metal]]
|Copper, iron, and bronze were developed as tools
|-
|[[Age of Pericles]]
|The "golden age" of Athens, led by Pericles, who introduced a form of direct democracy from BC 461-429
|-
|[[Queen Ahhotep|Ahhotep]]
|A Middle Kingdom Pharaoh who repelled Hyksos from Egypt.
|-
|[[Akkadian Empire]]
|A Sumerian empire (2360-2180 BC) located in the fertile crescent in the lower Mesopotamia and north of the Sumer River.
|-
|[[Alluvial]]
|A deposit of sediment (alluvium) in a river bed.
|-
|[[Arianism]]
|A theological view, taught by Arius around 320 AD, that Jesus was divine but was created by and is lesser than God. This view was considered heresy by orthodox Trinitarians, and condemned by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.
|-
|[[Aristophanes]]
|Athenian playwright, a writer of comedies and political satires. BC 456-380.
|-
|[[Ark of the Covenant]]
|The chest used by the Hebrews to contain the tablets of the Law given to Moses by God.
|-
|[[Aryans]]
|A semi-nomadic Nordic tribe that invaded and settled India around 1500 BC.
|-
|[[Ashoka]]
|Emperor of the Mauryan Empire of India from 273 BC to 232 BC. He was upset by the horrors of war after being triumphant, and became an advocate of Buddhism. After his conversion, he had thousands of rock pillars erected that were inscribed with the teachings of the Buddha. These are the first recordings of Buddha's teachings.
|-
|[[Bantu]]
|Over 400 tribes in Africa that share the Bantu language and common customs.
|-
|[[Barracks Emperors]]
|A series of Roman emperors who from 235 AD to 284 AD used the Roman army as a base for political power. These emperors usually had a poor, rural background.
|-
|[[Battle of Marathon]]
|In August 490 BC, King Darius I of Persia brought his army to the plains of Marathon to invade Athens. Despite being outnumbered ten to one, the Athenian army defeated the Persians.
|-
|[[Bhagavad Gita]]
|A section of the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita is an ancient Hindu text written in Sanskrit which consists of Krishna's writings on philosophy and morality.
|-
|[[Caesar's Commentaries]]
|A history by Julius Caesar describing the wars he fought.
|-
|[[Caligula]]
|A Roman emperor, ruling from 37 AD to 41 AD, who is historically depicted as a brutal monster, and who was so hated that he was murdered by his own guards.
|-
|[[Canaan]]
|The geographical area that encompasses modern-day Israel, the West Bank and a portion of land east of the Jordan River.
|-
|[[Catal Huyuk]]
|An ancient settlement in southern Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey.
|-
|[[Catholic Monarchs]]
|The title given by Pope Alexander VI to King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, whose marriage in 1469 caused the unification of Spain and its conversion back to a Catholic nation from Islam (the "Reconquest")
|-
|[[Cato the Censor]]
|A Roman statesman who during the Punic War called for the destruction of Carthage.
|-
|[[Champollion, Jean]]
|Jean Champollion (1790-1832) is the father of Egyptology (the study of Egypt), and who translated a portion of the Rosetta Stone.
|-
|[[Chandragupta Maurya]]
|The founder of the Mauryan Empire in India who ruled between 320 BC and 293 BC. The first Indian emperor to be converted to Jainism, he eventually renounced his throne and joined a group of nomadic Jain monks.
|-
|[[Cicero]]
|A Roman consul, statesman, lawyer, philosopher and author. After Julius Caesar's assassination, Cicero was one of the most powerful politicians in Rome, and was Mark Antony's rival.
|-
|[[Cincinnatus]]
|A Roman hero for whom the city of Cincinnati, Ohio was named. In 458 BC, he raised an army in Rome and came to the aid of the consul Minucius and his men, who were trapped in a dead-end valley by the Aequians. The Roman Senate had declared war against the Aequians because they had been raiding Roman farms.
|-
|[[Claudius]]
|Roman emperor who became ruler after his nephew Caligula's assassination, he ruled from 41 AD until 54 AD, when he was poisoned by his wife Agrippina. Britain came under Roman rule during his reign, and his edict expelling the Jews from Rome is mentioned in the Book of Acts in the Bible.
|-
|[[Cleopatra]]
|Seven Egyptian queens of Greek decent that ruled from 193 BC until 30 BC during the Ptolemaic Dynasty. The most famous, Cleopatra VII Philopator, Egypt's last independent ruler, had affairs with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
|-
|[[Confucianism]]
|A Chinese ethical and moral philosophy based on the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius that focuses on human morality and right action. It has had a significant influence on the development on the culture and history of East Asia.
|-
|[[Constitutional monarchy]]
|A government with a constitution that acknowledges a monarch as head of state with varying degrees of influence in the running of the country. Countries with constitutional monarchies include the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain.
|-
|[[consul]]
|An elected governmental position in ancient Rome that held executive authority and military command of the Roman Republic.
|-
|[[Copts]]
|The Coptic Church originated in Egypt around 50 AD when St. Mark the Evangelist traveled to Alexandria, and is one of the oldest Christian denominations. Its leader is the Patriarch of Alexandria, who is called Pope.
|-
|[[Covenant]]
|An oath or promise.
|-
|[[Cynicism]]
|A Greek philosophy founded by Antisthenes (444 BC - 365 BC) that rejects worldly pleasure in favor of happiness derived from virtue.
|-
|[[Cyrus]]
|A Persian emperor (576 BC – 529 BC) who conquered Babylon and sent the Jews back to Israel.
|-
|[[Darius]]
|A Persian emperor (521 BC – 486 BC) who quelled the Ionian Revolt and invaded Greece, but was forced to withdraw at the Battle of Marathon.
|-
|[[Delian League]]
|A confederation during the Persian Wars controlled by Athens, and consisting of Athens and other Greek city-states and Aegean towns. Its navy helped defend Greece from Persia.
|-
|[[Demosthenes (Greek statesman)|Demosthenes]]
|A ancient Greek statesman who spoke against Philip II of Macedonia in speeches that came to be known as "Philippics". He also attempted to convince Greeks to rise up against Macedonian rule after the death of Philip's son, Alexander the Great.
|-
|[[Diocletian]]
|The last Barrack Emperor of Rome, he ruled from 284 AD until 305 AD. He divided the Roman Empire into eastern and western regions in an attempt to save the empire, and formed a tetrarchy of four rulers, two for each region. He also required the military to worship the Roman pagan gods, thus making it impossible for Christians to be soldiers, as well as cruelly persecuted them.
|-
|[[Dorians]]
|Tribes that settled in Greece between 1100 BC and 1000 BC, and had a military ruling class, which persisted in Sparta and Crete even after democracy was established in Athens. These tribes created the simplest style of Greek architecture, known as the Doric order, which consisted of unadorned, straight columns.
|-
|[[Dravidians]]
|Dravidians are the people of southern India and Sri Lanka who speak the Dravidian languages and are found in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.

|-
|[[Empress Lu]]
|The wife of the Chinese emperor Han Gaozu, who after her husband's death had all other possible heirs murdered and installed her son as emperor, ruling as regent until her death.
|-
|[[Epicureanism]]
|A philosophy founded by Epicurus in the late 4th century that holds the belief that great happiness is achievable through the avoidance of pain and fear. It does not believe in divine power interacting with humanity.
|-
|[[Etruscans]]
|People who settled in the Italian peninsula prior to 700 BC. Most Etruscan cities ran on a democratic-style system. Their culture influenced the later Roman Empire.
|-
|[[Euripides]]
|Athenian tragic playwright, BC 480-406.
|-
|[[Exodus]]
|The abrupt departure of the people of Israel from Egypt, as told in the Book of Exodus in the Bible.
|-
|[[Five Good Emperors]]
|Five consecutive Roman emperors who ruled between 96 AD to 180 AD and were elected due to talent rather than family connections.
|-
|[[foraging society]]
|A pre-farming economy based upon scavenging, hunting, and gathering resources.
|-
|[[Four Emperors Era]]
|A series of Roman emperors who ruled in quick succession in 68-69 AD.
|-
|[[Franks]]
|A Germanic people that, beginning in the 4th century AD, eventually conquered the areas of France, Benelux, Belgium, The Netherlands and portions of Germany.
|-
|[[Gaul]]
|The Roman name for the area comprising modern-day France and Belgium, and parts of northern Italy, western Switzerland and Germany, and the Netherlands. This area was under Roman rule for most of its existence.
|-
|[[Golden mean]]
|Is considered the middle between two extremes in philosophy.
|-
|[[Great Canal]]
|A canal that connected the Nile River to the Red Sea, built during the Middle Kingdom of Egypt.
|-
|[[Hadrian]]
|The third of the "Five Good Emperors" of the Roman Empire, Hadrian ruled from A.D. 117 to 138 and had two main achievements: he ended Rome's costly territorial expansion, fortifying her boundaries with numerous "Walls of Hadrian," and he effectively "Hellenized" Rome by anointing Athens the empire’s cultural center, thereby enhancing learning.
|-
|[[Han empire]]
|d
|-
|[[Harappa]]
|A city that is part of the Indus Valley Civilization. It is part of modern Pakistan
|-
|[[Hatshepsut]]
|d
|-
|[[Hellenistic culture]]
|Greek culture after the death of Alexander in 323 B.C., when Greek influence extended throughout the territory he conquered; Hellenistic culture was renowned for its strict code of ethics, its culinary prowess, and its use of metal.
|-
|[[helot]]
|d
|-
|[[Herodotus]]
|d
|-
|[[Hiram]]
|d
|-
|[[Hittites]]
|d
|-
|[[Horace]]
|d
|-
|[[humanism]]
|d
|-
|[[Hyksos]]
|d
|-
|[[Iron Smelting]]
|d
|-
|[[Iliad]]
|d
|-
|[[Jericho]]
|d
|-
|[[Josephus]]
|d
|-
|[[Kassites]]
|d
|-
|[[Khufu]]
|d
|-
|[[Khyber Pass]]
|An important break in the mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan, pivotal in military campaigns by Alexander the Great, Aryans, Muslims, and later the British, who had to overcome defensive positions taken from above by local tribesman.
|-
|[[Kush]]
|d
|-
|[[Larger Vehicle]]
|d
|-
|[[Last Roman Emperor]]
|d
|-
|legalism
|d
|-
|[[Legions]]
|d
|-
|[[Lesser Vehicle]]
|d
|-
|[[Livy]]
|d
|-
|[[Loess]]
|d
|-
|[[Mahayana]]
|d
|-
|[[Manichaeism]]
|d
|-
|[[Marathon]]
|d
|-
|[[Marcus Aurelius]]
|d
|-
|[[Marius]]
|d
|-
|[[Masada]]
|d
|-
|[[Menes]]
|d
|-
|[[Meroe]]
|d
|-
|[[Mesolithic Age]]
|Sometime before the beginning of recorded history in 3500 B.C., when humans changed from hunting and gathering food to producing food, as in planting and farming.
|-
|[[Minoan Civilization]]
|d
|-
|[[Moksha]]
|d
|-
|[[monsoons]]
|Tropical storms, particularly in the climate of India, where the "southwest monsoon" occurs from about mid-June to the first week in October, and consists of winds carrying heavy rainfall from the Indian Ocean and resulting in widespread flooding
|-
|[[Mount Sinai]]
|d
|-
|[[Mycenaean Civilization]]
|d
|-
|[[Nebuchadnezzar I]]
|d
|-
|[[Nebuchadnezzar II]]
|d
|-
|[[Neolithic Age]]
|d
|-
|[[Nero]]
|d
|-
|[[Nerva]]
|d
|-
|[[Nineveh]]
|d
|-
|[[Nok culture]]
|d
|-
|[[Octavian]]
|d
|-
|[[Odyssey]]
|d
|-
|[[Olmec]]
|d
|-
|oracle bone
|d
|-
|[[Origen]]
|dddd
|-
|[[Ostrogoths]]
|d
|-
|[[Ovid]]
|d
|-
|[[Paleolithic Age]]
|d
|-
|[[papyrus]]
|d
|-
|pariah
|d
|-
|[[Parthenon]]
|d
|-
|[[patricians]]
|d
|-
|[[Peru]]
|d
|-
|[[Philippides]]
|d
|-
|[[Philo]]
|d
|-
|[[Pisistratids]]
|d
|-
|[[plebian]]
|d
|-
|[[Plutarch]]
|d
|-
|[[Pompey]]
|d
|-
|[[praetors]]
|d
|-
|[[Prehistory]]
|d
|-
|purdah
|d
|-
|[[Pythagorus]]
|A Greek philosopher mathematician (569-475 B.C.), best known for his Pythagorean Theorem which equates the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle to the sum of the squares of each side. His philosophy included abstracting 2 ships + 2 ships = 4 ships to the more general truth that 2 of anything plus 2 of anything = 4 of anything.
|-
|[[Ramayana]]
|d
|-
|[[Ramses II]]
|d
|-
|[[Rembrandt]]
|d
|-
|[[Rig Veda]]
|d
|-
|[[Romance of Three Kingdoms]]
|d
|-
|[[Romulus and Remus]]
|d
|-
|[[rule of tyrants]]
|d
|-
|[[Sargon the Great]]
|d
|-
|[[Sati (Buddhism)]]
|d
|-
|[[Satrap]]
|d
|-
|[[Saxons]]
|d
|-
|[[Schliemann, Heinrich]]
|d
|-
|[[Scipio]]
|d
|-
|[[Seneca]]
|Roman philosopher (a [[Stoicism|Stoic]]), statesman and playwright; teacher of [[Nero]]. BC 4 - AD 65.
|-
|[[Shang dynasty]]
|d
|-
|[[Shang Yang]]
|d
|-
|[[Shi]]
|d
|-
|[[Shiva]]
|In Hinduism, Shiva "the Destroyer" is the third member of the Trimurti, or the "Hindu triad", along with Brahma "the Creator" and Vishnu "the Preserver".
|-
|[[Solon]]
|d
|-
|[[Sophocles]]
|Athenian tragic playwright, BC 497-406.
|-
|[[Steppes]]
|d
|-
|[[Stoicism]]
|d
|-
|[[Stone age]]
|d
|-
|[[Stupa]]
|d
|-
|[[Sulla]]
|d
|-
|Sunna
|d
|-
|[[Sumuabum]]
|d
|-
|[[Suttee]]
|An ancient Hindu practice in India where a wife sacrifices herself upon her husband's funeral pyre.
|-
|[[Tacitus]]
|d
|-
|[[Taj Mahal]]
|A marble memorial located in Agra, India. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Queen Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth.
|-
|[[terra cotta]]
|A hard fired clay, distinctively brownish-red colored (from Latin "terra cotta": baked earth) traditionally used for architectural purposes, especially ornamental, and for pottery and sculpture.
|-
|[[Theravada]]
|d
|-
|[[Thutmos III]]
|d
|-
|[[Tiber River]]
|One of the longest Italian rivers, over 250 miles long, it flows through the city of Rome.
|-
|[[Tiberius]]
|d
|-
|[[Tigris and Euphrates]]
|d
|-
|[[Titus and Domitian]]
|d
|-
|[[Trajan]]
|d
|-
|[[Tribal Assembly]]
|d
|-
|[[Triumvirate]]
|A triumvirate is a system of governance led by 3 leaders. The two most important triumvirates of ancient times were those of Rome: one led by Julius Caesar, Pompeius Magnus ("Pompey the Great") and Marcus Crassus; and that led by Octavian, Mark Antony, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. It was the failings of these triumvirates that lead to the downfall of the Republic, and the emergence of the Roman Empire.
|-
|[[Twelve Tables]]
|d
|-
|[[Untouchables]]
|d
|-
|[[Upanishads]]
|d
|-
|[[Ur]]
|d
|-
|[[Vandals]]
|d
|-
|[[Vespasian]]
|d
|-
|[[Wheel]]
|The ancient Mesopotamians invented the wheel, originally in the form of a potter’s wheel. This is considered the first and greatest of man's inventions.
|-
|[[Xenephos]]
|d
|-
|[[Xerxes]]
|A Persian king in the 5th century BC who attacked and conquered much of Greece, before being defeated in a naval battle in the Battle of Salamis and forced to withdraw back to Babylon
|-
|[[Zealots]]
|A group of Jews in the 1st century AD who sought the violent overthrow and expulsion of Rome from Israel. Their most famous battle (and defeat) came at the Masada, a mountain fortress that still holds spiritual significance for Israel today.
|-
|[[Zeno]]
|d
|-
|}

[[Category:World History lectures]]
</sup>

Talk:Essay:Politicians Who Had a Real Career

2011-08-09T13:17:14Z

PhilS33: an insight

==This is interesting==
Just to clarify do you mean people who are not "career politicians"? [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 18:06, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
:Oh yeah, I added Herman Cain. Would he qualify (don't know much about US politics). [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 18:09, 7 August 2011 (EDT)

== Significance, and alphabetization ==

The list is for ''significant'' politicians who have had some influence. Many who have been added do not qualify. They need to be moved to the lower category.

Also, why alphabetize rather than rank by influence?--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 20:33, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
:What would qualify as significance? I moved Franken because, though his career was perhaps less-than-serious, as a senator, he makes law. Perhaps that could be the judge of influence? And I thought alphabetization would be effective for the purposes of locating a certain name following the explansion of the article. --[[User:Chouston|Chouston]] 21:03, 7 August 2011 (EDT)

::Good point about the value of alphabetization ... if there are enough names whereby it becomes an issue. Many of the names need to be moved to the "not significant" category. For example, unless you can identify a real influence that Al Franken has had, then he does not belong on the real list.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 21:08, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
:::I moved Franken.--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 21:12, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
::::(edit conflict) Until such a time, I think alphabetization is still desirable, to avoid getting into arguments over who is more influential than whom. Regarding Franken, he has presided over two Supreme Court Justice confirmations, intoduced [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:S1495: a bill] to provide service dogs to disabled veterans as well as an amendment to the appropriations bill regarding contract disputes, and was in the national news a good deal due to his election controversies. (This is assuming that the positivity or negativity of influence is moot). --[[User:Chouston|Chouston]] 21:17, 7 August 2011 (EDT)

== Land surveying ==

I see Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln were moved out of the list. Both were land surveyors for several years, which ''is'' a "real" job. They might not have been hugely successful at the position, but it is a job that has real responsibility and there are legal consequences if done incorrectly. Mount Rushmore have 3 surveyors on it - only Theodore Roosevelt had the poor judgement of not attempting the profession. --[[User:SharonW|SharonW]] 21:21, 7 August 2011 (EDT)

== Eisenhower ==

He was a five-star general in the Army and was very influential in WWII. He helped with the Invasion of Normandy.--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 21:22, 7 August 2011 (EDT)

== Obama ==

Whether you like him or hate him, he ''is'' the president of the United States. How can it be said he isn't "significant" in politics? What has all the fighting been about the past three years then? --[[User:SharonW|SharonW]] 21:24, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
:Edited to add - if he's insignificant, why does CP have so many articles about him and his administration's policies? --[[User:SharonW|SharonW]] 21:30, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
::Because he's a black atheist Muslim foreign liberal. [[User:TerryB|TerryB]] 14:44, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

== Obama ??? ==

[http://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Essay:Politicians_Who_Had_a_Real_Career&curid=114700&diff=898411&oldid=898410 I am curious about edit.] Obama had a very wealthy career as a attorney and author before stepping into the political fray. Why does it not count? [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 21:49, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
: (Edit conflict) Also, why would there be question marks by Obama's name, but attorney by Santorum's, despite Santorum only having 4 years under his law belt and Obama having 9+? --[[User:Chouston|Chouston]] 21:51, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
::And what does "no clear influence in politics mean"? He's the president!!! Can't get much more influential than that! [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 22:08, 7 August 2011 (EDT)

:::Surely influence means more than someone's title or position. Otherwise, the 44 most influential people in American history would be the 44 presidents, which is obviously not the case.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 23:06, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
::::But he has quite a clear influence. He is the President. [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 23:17, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
:::::So Barack Obama is no longer destroying the country? What a glorious day for America. --[[User:Chouston|Chouston]] 23:19, 7 August 2011 (EDT)

::::::Folks, position does not equal influence. Jesus had no position at all.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 23:39, 7 August 2011 (EDT)
:::::::But Obama has huge influence. He can sign things into law that cause massive changes. How do you classify influence? [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 23:41, 7 August 2011 (EDT)

::::::::[[Thomas Edison]] was named by Life magazine as the most influential person in the entire world in the second millennium. Yet he did not sign anything into law.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 00:46, 8 August 2011 (EDT)
:::::::::Yes, but the section is titled "No clear influence ''in politics''." Obama clearly has enormous influence in politics. Particularly in that he controls the military, has a presidential veto and can pardon criminals. [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 00:53, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

Position does not necessarily equate to influence - but it makes it more likely that they had influence, but not certain. Ie. Michele Bachmann has spent most of her time in Congress when Republicans were in the minority. This is one of the reasons why most of the bills she has submitted have not been passed into law: her party lacked the political numbers to be able to do so. Compare this to a Democratic Congressman elected at the same time, whose party did have control in Congress, who would most likely have had a larger impact because the bills introduced would have been more likely to get further. And although the 43 most influential people in American politics would not consist of the 43 American Presidents (not 44, Grover Cleveland is counted twice), but if you tried to list the top 250 influential people in American politics, you would get nearly all of them in that list (not William Henry Harrison, serving for 1 month, and like). And with regards to Jesus being influential without a position, his main influence was not political, in fact his political influence could be considered minimal (ignoring the effect centuries later, which surely would not be relevant). Therefore Jesus would not be on this list, as this is about political influence in the US. - JamesCA, August 8 2011
:The trouble with this list is that it's often hard to evaluate a person's true influence until some years after the peak of their career - it's one thing to make policies or speeches while in office, and another to influence the actions of those who follow you. I don't think the list should include anyone who entered politics less than 25 years ago, since such inclusions cannot take a fully informed perspective.--[[User:CPalmer|CPalmer]] 09:03, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

== Definition of influence ==

Andy, please give a definition of "influence" for us to work with. Thanks. --[[User:SharonW|SharonW]] 00:15, 8 August 2011 (EDT)
:I am curious as well. I am reluctant to add any more names until a clearer pattern emerges. --[[User:SteveK|SteveK]] 00:22, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

::It's obvious what "influence" is, isn't it? It means changing the way people view or conduct their lives. Rubber-stamping laws passed by Congress doesn't rank high on the list, but the media of course make money by pretending otherwise.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 01:05, 8 August 2011 (EDT)
:::Then Obama qualifies, but for the wrong reasons. forcing people into health care, downgrading the credit rating etc etc are all due to his political influence. [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 01:10, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

::::I assume it isn't ''President Obama's war in Libya'' any longer? [[User:RonLar|RonLar]] 02:01, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

:::If you're going to consider Obama not influential, then you can't complain about his policies, only complain about incomptetence. Because if he is not influential, then his policies don't matter, and aren't worth complaining about. Complain the the policies of the Democratic Party, instead of the man who is supposedly their puppet (which I think deserves enough evidence that maybe a page on the Debate Topics should be started?) - JamesCA, August 8 2011

::::That's like say no one should complain about a lack of leadership, which is similar to a leader who lacks influence.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 17:39, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

== LBJ??? ==

LBJ taught at a school near the Mexico border in a town called Cotulla for 1 year. He then returned to teachers college, finished his diploma and taught at a High School in Houston for 1 semester, before taking a job as a congressman's assistant in Washington. He was then appointed head of the Texas NYA (a new deal program) before geing elected congressman a couple of years later. In other words LBJ had no significant career prior to getting into politics. For this reason I will remove his name. Whatever you can say about LBJ (and there is a lot to say) you cannot say he wasn't a career politician. --[[User:DamianJohn|DamianJohn]] 02:40, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

== Problem with organization ==

I don't really understand the logic of this page. The first part is clear enough, a list of politicians who had success in other careers before entering politics, but the second section seems to be talking about something different entirely. Do you mean for "No real influence in politics" to be the opposite category of "significant politicians who had a real career (outside of politics)"? Wouldn't a more logical second category be "Career Politicians," or "Politicians with no real career outside of politics"?

I only ask because I can think of several cases where a politician both had a real career outside politics and were not extremely influential in politics. Sunny Bono comes to mind, an extraordinarily successful musician who did relatively little as a congressman. Ross Perot and Steve Forbes are both successful businessmen who have never managed to break through to meaningful political careers. As others have argued above, Obama can't be considered to have little influence in politics, since the president is by definition the most important politician in the system. However, there is a case to be made that he never had much of a career before entering politics. At least not one befitting a well-connected double Ivy League graduate who has a J.D. from Harvard and worked on the Law Review. [[User:JDWpianist|JDWpianist]] 08:28, 8 August 2011 (EDT)
::You're right JDW. You'd think that a guy with that kind of pedigree would be doing some really interesting/earth-shattering/high-stakes and high-paying work, maybe in the private sector or in academia, before moving on to politics. Otherwise, what a waste of time and potential. [[User:JohnMcL|JohnMcL]] 09:02, 8 August 2011 (EDT)
:::That's a strange remark, John (or are you being ironic?) Whether you like his brand of politics or not, he's decided to devote his undoubted potential to national-level politics. Seeking elected office in a democracy is a worthy ambition. Why do you regard it as a waste? [[User:KhalidM|KhalidM]] 16:30, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

== Duke of Wellington ==

Confused newcomer here. Why is the 1st Duke of Wellington in the list headed "No clear inluence in politics"? He was the dominant figure on the right of British politics from 1829 to 1848. [[User:KhalidM|KhalidM]] 16:27, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

:If explained in the entry, that's a good reason to promote him to the top list.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 17:36, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

:: OK, so I've done this for Wellington and also for MacMillan and Chamberlain. I've left Heseltine, Major and Baldwin in the bottom list - perhaps they're examples of how a significant career before/outside politics doesn't prepare you for high office. [[User:KhalidM|KhalidM]] 19:05, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

:::Chamberlain was a typical liberal appeaser. He had no clear influence.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 19:08, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

:::: I think you need to bring yourself up-to-date on British history. Chamberlain was libelled as an appeaser by the authors of a leftist pamphlet called ''The Guilty Men'', published in 1940. Many of the leftists who wrote the pamphlet were much more strongly in favour of appeasement than Chamberlain was. Churchill admired and trusted him and placed him in charge of domestic policy. [[User:KhalidM|KhalidM]] 19:16, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

:::: (edit conflict) Sorry... what? Chamberlain was a typical inter-war Tory. He hated war and was prepared to do anything to stop it! His only major opponent was the ex-Liberal Winston Churchill! Without Chamberlain, the Czech appeasement deal would never have happened and the war would have been different because Czechoslovakia would have had a chance to defend itself. I really don't see how you can write him off so easily. [[User:RobertE|RobertE]] 19:18, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

:::::The alternative to Chamberlain as PM in 1937 was Halifax, in which case there would have been more enthusiastic appeasement and no military build-up, and Britain would have become the western outpost of the Reich. No, Chamberlain's judgement in foreign policy wasn't immaculate but considering that his Foreign Secretary was Halifax and that Parliament, ''especially Labour'', was very strongly pro-appeasement, it wasn't as bad as ''The Guilty Men'' made out. Your line about "typical inter-war Tory" is incorrect; his achievements in improving working conditions and in economics were genuine. [[User:KhalidM|KhalidM]] 19:27, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

:::::: Sorry, but there wasn't really a choice in '37. Baldwin advised the King to send for Chamberlain, and he did. The choice was Halifax vs Churchill a few years later. [[User:RobertE|RobertE]] 19:32, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

== Ron Paul ==

For the benefit of non-US editors, please could someone explain who Ron Paul is. The page describes him as "the single most influential presidential candidate in the past decade". I must say that he's completely unknown in the UK and I don't see that he won many votes in Presidential elections.

The point is to have a benchmark so we know where to add names of the many politicians who've had significant outside careers: why is Ron Paul in the "influential" list and the Duke of Wellington in the "not influential" list? Or for that matter, Neville Chamberlain: he had one of the most influential ''peace-time'' careers of any politician in the UK in the 20th century. As Health Minister, he got the first Factory Act passed, a keystone of legislation on safety at work, and as Chancellor, he ensured that Britain had the economic strength and military spending it needed to fight Hitler. Churchill inspired the Spitfire pilots but Chamberlain got the Spitfires built. [[User:KhalidM|KhalidM]] 17:49, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

== Significant isn't the same thing as good ==

Mr Schlafly, as you give history lessons (are you a professional history teacher?) you surely understand that many significant politicians weren't good people. [[User:KhalidM|KhalidM]] 19:12, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

:Regarding Heydrich and Lenin: you've now placed them in the category of people whose career outside politics needs discussion. They were both thoroughly evil people but they both had significant careers before going into politics and were both extremely significant (negatively) as politicians. When you say, "Significant politicians", do you mean, "Significant politicians whose policies Andy Schlafly approves of"? Please let me know because if you do, perhaps it would not be a good use of my time or that of other editors to attempt to assist you. [[User:KhalidM|KhalidM]] 19:21, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

== Trudeau, Levesque, Parizeau, Mulroney as "undeserving" ==

By what definition are these four men, who together and in opposition completely changed the political landscape of a country that happens to be our largest trading partner "undeserving"? [[User:JohnMcL|JohnMcL]] 19:36, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

I would consider them morally undeserving. Levesque and Parizeau were separatists. Mulroney was corrupt and Trudeau was a socialist. In terms of influence, I might say Levesque because he was the first PQ premier. Trudeau and Mulroney were long serving but did not really do that much to change the country. Parizeau was a failure.
:This article isn't about moral purity. Read the title of the article: "Politicians who had a real career." They were politicians. They were important politicians. They had careers before embarking in politics. Therefore, they deserve to be in the article. Your assertion that Trudeau and Mulroney didn't change the country is absurd. Trudeau, if he did nothing else, repatriated the constitution and gave the country the Charter of rights and Freedoms. Mulroney, if he did nothing else, opened the door for the a complete retooling of Canada's concept of a "social safety net." Parizeau might not have succeeded in bringing about Quebec independence, but he came very close, and Quebec-Canada relations have never been the same since 1995; moreover he was the financial brains behind the creation and expansion of "Quebec. Inc in the 1970s and 1980s. [[User:JohnMcL|JohnMcL]] 21:38, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

:: Headlines are concise out of necessity. Implicit in the headline for this entry is the word "influential", as has already been explained before on this talk page. Someone who merely "opened the door" doesn't count; doormen are not counted among the most influential people, unless they do something in addition to opening doors.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 21:42, 8 August 2011 (EDT)
:::Pierre Trudeau wrote a new constitution for Canada. Writing a new constitution for a country is being a doorman? Look at Canada in 1983 when he left office, and look at Canada when Mulroney left office--do those countries look at all the same to you? Look at Quebec in 1976 before Levesque. Look at Quebec when Parizeau left office -- does that look at all like the same place? [[User:JohnMcL|JohnMcL]] 21:46, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

::::Honestly, Canada does look the same to me throughout that period: beautiful landscape, terrific people, but headed in the misguided [[liberal]] direction. It's a tragedy.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 23:44, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

== Confusion ==

Is there some special set of criteria here? Why are people like Margaret Thatcher being deleted while others like Lech Walesa are being moved to different sections? It's pretty clear that these two had significant careers before becoming politicians (Thatcher's science background was often referenced during her term as PM). I don't see why they shouldn't make the list, while Michele Bachmann, who has had no career outside politics at all, makes the top list. [[User:RobertE|RobertE]] 19:36, 8 August 2011 (EDT)
:I would suggest including an introductory paragraph at the top, to help clarify what exactly this is about. Certainly, Lech Walesa had a very clear and very real career, so why does he need "further discussion?" It is, I admit, an interesting idea to analyze the pre-politics careers of those that would be our leaders. But I'm not sure of the intentions of this essay nor its contents.--[[User:CamilleT|CamilleT]] 23:24, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

::Thatcher did not have a real career outside of government. Majoring in chemistry is not a real career.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 23:36, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

::[[Homeschooling]] 5 kids and helping raise about two-dozen additional foster children, as [[Michele Bachmann]] did, is a real career.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 23:37, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

::Lech Walesa may merit the top list. Good point. Perhaps a greater explanation of what his career and political influence were would help.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 23:40, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

I really am also very confused - I added the two-term Mayor of New York and the likely GOP Presidential nominee, yet they have "no clear influence in politics"? Sorry, but I don't understand at all - they are both very significant figures? [[User:JanW|JanW]] 23:46, 8 August 2011 (EDT)
:I am confused as to how Bachmann is considered to have a real career but not Obama? [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 23:58, 8 August 2011 (EDT)

== Insight ==

Hi folks. I believe I have just had a fascinating conservative insight, based on the current form of this list. I present it here for your perusal and hope that it will provoke discussion. Noting that there are very few influential liberals in the first list, I conclude that

'''Nearly all influential liberals are professional politicians. In contrast, many influential conservatives hold "real" jobs prior to entering politics.'''

This appears to be particularly true among conservatives whose views align with those of the Tea Party. I believe this insight is well-supported by the data presented here, as soon as one has appropriately defined "influential" and "real job". --[[User:PhilS33|PhilS33]] 09:17, 9 August 2011 (EDT)