Vocabulary from the Sixth Democratic Debate, February 11, 2016

In the aftermath of Senator Bernie Sanders' victory in the New Hampshire primary on February 9, Sanders and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton debated again on February 11, this time in Milwaukee. The topics debated ranged from race relations in America to the refugee crisis in Syria, and there were also sharper personal attacks than in previous debates, over voting records, criticism of President Obama, and Secretary Clinton's consultation with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Here are 20 vocabulary words from the Sixth Democratic Debate of February 11, 2016.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. incarceration
    the state of being imprisoned
    The statistics from Wisconsin are particularly troubling, because it is the highest rate of incarceration for African-Americans in our nation, twice the national average.
    - Secretary Hillary Clinton
  2. recidivism
    habitual relapse into crime
    And, where we are failing abysmally is in the very high rate of recidivism we see. People are being released from jail without the education, without the job training, without the resources that they need to get their lives together, then they end up -- we're shocked that they end up back in jail again.
    - Senator Bernie Sanders
  3. horrendous
    causing fear or dread or terror
    If my memory is correct, I think when we saw children coming from these horrendous, horrendously violent areas of Honduras and neighboring countries, people who are fleeing drug violence and cartel violence, I thought it was a good idea to allow those children to stay in this country.
    - Sen. Sanders
  4. humanitarian
    marked by devotion to popular welfare
    The agreement on humanitarian relief now needs to be implemented, because there are enclaves that are literally filled with starving people throughout Syria.
    - Sec. Clinton
    An "enclave" is a an enclosed territory or area.
  5. authoritarian
    characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule
    When we have more people in jail, disproportionately African American and Latino, than China does, a communist authoritarian society four times our size.
    - Sen. Sanders
  6. parameter
    any factor defining a system and determining its performance
    He [ Senator Sanders] voted in favor of regime change with Libya, voted in favor of the Security Council being an active participate in setting the parameters for what we would do, which of course we followed through on.
    - Sec. Clinton
  7. implemented
    forced or compelled or put in force
    The agreement on humanitarian relief now needs to be implemented, because there are enclaves that are literally filled with starving people throughout Syria.
    - Sec. Clinton
  8. comprehensive
    including all or everything
    I believe that we have got to pass comprehensive immigration reform, something that I strongly supported.
    - Sen. Sanders
  9. abysmal
    very great; limitless
    And, where we are failing abysmally is in the very high rate of recidivism we see. People are being released from jail without the education, without the job training, without the resources that they need to get their lives together, then they end up -- we're shocked that they end up back in jail again.
    - Sen. Sanders
  10. revitalize
    give new life or vigor to
    And that's why I've come forward with, for example, a plan to revitalize coal country, the coalfield communities that have been so hard hit by the changing economy, by the reduction in the use of coal.
    -Sec. Clinton
  11. buttress
    make stronger or defensible
    So we have no disagreement about the need to buttress Social Security, get more revenue into the program. But I want to start by helping those people who are most at risk, the ones who, yes, are cutting their pills in half, who don't believe they can make the rent, who are worried about what comes next for them.
    - Sec. Clinton
  12. shambles
    a condition of great disorder
    President Obama and NATO -- correctly, I believe -- are saying, you know what, we're going to have to beef up our troop level in that part of the world to tell Putin that his aggressiveness is not going to go unmatched, that he is not going to get away with aggressive action.
    I happen to believe that Putin is doing what he is doing because his economy is increasingly in shambles and he's trying to rally his people in support of him.
    - Sen. Sanders
    Senator Sanders is saying that he believes that the Russian economy is such a mess that Vladmir Putin, President of Russia, is trying to distract his people and get them to rally around him by using military force in another part of the world.
  13. absurdity
    the state or quality of being ridiculous
    I'm very proud that I support legislation that is currently in the Congress, got support of almost all progressive Democrats in the House and Senate, which says we will end the absurdity of women today making 79 cents on the dollar compared to men. And we will join the rest of the other -- the industrialized world in saying that paid family and medical leave should be a right of all working families.
    - Sen. Sanders
  14. antipathy
    a feeling of intense dislike
    You know, from my perspective, maybe because I understand what President Obama inherited, not only the worst financial crisis but the antipathy of the Republicans in Congress, I don't think he gets the credit he deserves for being a president...
    -Sec. Clinton
  15. skepticism
    doubt about the truth of something
    I've tried to be as specific to answer questions so that my proposals can be vetted, because I feel like we have to level with people...There is a great deal of skepticism about the federal government...
    So we have a special obligation to make clear what we stand for, which is why I think we should not make promises we can't keep, because that will further, I think, alienate Americans from understanding and believing we can together make some real changes in people's lives.
    -Sec. Clinton
    To vet is to check something out, look into the background of, or to make sure it is correct or true.
  16. akin
    similar in quality or character
    In terms of 2007 immigration reform, yeah, I did vote against it. I voted against it because the Southern Poverty Law Center, among other groups, said that the guest-worker programs that were embedded in this agreement were akin to slavery. Akin to slavery, where people came into this country to do guest work were abused, were exploited, and if they stood up for their rights, they'd be thrown out of this country.
    - Sen. Sanders
  17. exemplify
    clarify by giving an illustration of
    I think what President Obama did was to exemplify the importance of this issue as our first African American president, and to address it both from the President's office, and through his advocacy, such as working with young men, and Mrs. Obama's work with young women.
    - Sec. Clinton
    Secretary Clinton gave this response to a question about President Obama's legacy regarding race relations and the prison population.
  18. staunch
    firm and dependable especially in loyalty
    And why I am a staunch supporter of President Obama's principal accomplishment -- namely the Affordable Care Act -- is because I know how hard it was to get that done. We are at 90 percent coverage. We have to get the remaining 10. I've set forth very specific plans about how to get costs down, especially prescription drug costs.
    -Sec. Clinton
  19. concur
    be in agreement
    Let me concur with the secretary, no question women's rights are under fierce attack all over this country.
    -Sen. Sanders
  20. beacon
    a fire that can be seen from a distance
    It seems to me that given our history as a nation that has been a beacon of hope for the oppressed, for the downtrodden, that I very strongly disagree with those Republican candidates who say, you know what, we've got to turn our backs on women and children who left their home with nothing, nothing at all. That is not what America is supposed to be about.
    - Sen. Sanders
    Here Senator Sanders is using "beacon" metaphorically, to stand for the relief that America offers Syrian refugees who are fleeing war in their homeland.
Created on Thu Feb 11 23:20:04 EST 2016 (updated Fri Feb 12 00:16:37 EST 2016)

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