Vocabulary from the Seventh Democratic Debate, March 6, 2016

The Seventh Democratic Debate took place March 6, 2016 in Flint, Michigan. The contaminated water crisis in Flint was front and center in this debate, as were broader issues of systemic racism and what government can realistically do about it. There were many questions from the audience in this debate, on topics ranging from crumbling schools to gun laws to each individual candidate's religious views. Here are 20 words from the Seventh Democratic Debate.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. accountability
    responsibility to someone or for some activity
    Well, I support what President Obama is doing. He called for and got accountability from the officials at the EPA to make sure the state is doing its job. He expanded Medicaid for helping kids particularly to get the health care they need. He is also ordered that there be a Head Start program. I support that.
    - Secretary Hillary Clinton
  2. horrendous
    causing fear or dread or terror
    We passed NAFTA and other disastrous trade agreements which had a horrendous impact on African-Americans in particular, in Flint, in Detroit and all across this country.
    - Senator Bernie Sanders
    NAFTA is the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was enacted under President Bill Clinton in the 1990s.
  3. empathize
    be understanding of
    But I will do everything that I possibly can to not only do the best to understand and to empathize, but to tear down the barriers of systemic racism that are in the criminal justice system, in the employment system, in the education and health care system.
    - Sec. Clinton
  4. downsize
    make a company smaller by dismissing employees
    I don't think it's a great idea for the American taxpayer to have to subsidize through corporate welfare profitable corporations who downsize in the United States of America.
    - Sen. Sanders
    "Subsidize" here means "to fund" or "to support through monetary means." Senator Sanders was talking about the Import-Export Bank, which helps businesses export their products overseas, but has been accused of providing help to already profitable companies who don't really need the assistance.
  5. cataclysmic
    severely destructive
    And what they [scientists] are telling me -- if we don't get our act together, this planet could be 5 to 10 degrees warmer by the end of this century -- cataclysmic problems for this planet.
    - Sen. Sanders
  6. proliferation
    a rapid increase in number
    In recent years we have seen a proliferation of millionaires and billionaires, and increase in income and wealth inequality, and all over this country middle class families are struggling.
    - Sen. Sanders
  7. dereliction
    willful negligence
    As Anderson [ Cooper, the moderator] indicated, there's a lot of blame to go around, and one of the points that I have made is that I believe the Governor of this state should understand that his dereliction of duty was irresponsible.
    -Sen. Sanders
    Senator Sanders is referring here to the results from Flint's water crisis, and was asked who is to blame for the situation.
  8. hassle
    annoy continually or chronically
    You don't know what it's like to be hassled when you walk down the street or you get dragged out of a car.
    - Sen. Sanders
  9. retroactive
    affecting things past
    First thing is you say, people are not paying a water bill for poison and that is retroactive.
    - Sen. Sanders
  10. adversely
    in an opposing or negative manner
    And, that's why the very first speech that I gave in this campaign was about criminal justice reform, and ending the era of mass incarceration because I believe absolutely that too many families were broken up, too many communities were adversely affected.
    - Sec. Clinton
    "Adversely" here means "negatively" or "in a manner which made things worse."
  11. immunity
    the state of not being susceptible
    I also believe, so strongly... that giving immunity to gunmakers and sellers was a terrible mistake.
    - Sec. Clinton
    The immunity given to gunmakers that Secretary Clinton is referring to here is that gunmakers were given immunity from prosecution if one of their products was used in the commission of an illegal act. So, if a person buys a gun and then shoots my aunt to death, I can sue in court the person who shot her but I cannot sue the maker of the gun the person used to shoot her.
  12. deregulate
    lift the authoritative rules on
    We deregulated Wall Street, which allowed Wall Street to end up destroying our economy.
    - Sen. Sanders
  13. backlog
    an accumulation of jobs not done or materials not processed
    Well, there's no doubt, we have an enormous backlog of infrastructure repairs.
    - Sec. Clinton
  14. woefully
    in an unfortunate or deplorable manner
    I have a comprehensive manufacturing plan that I will be implementing. We're also going to invest more on infrastructure as we both have said, "it's woefully under resourced." That will put a lot of people to work.
    - Sec. Clinton
  15. philanthropic
    of or relating to charitable giving
    Then, when I came here, and I met with some of the mothers, and met their children, and heard their stories -- I'm just determined to do whatever I can. So, I have put together resources from the private and philanthropic communities to help provide a bridge because you've got to get the federal money, you've got to get the state money, but I'm going to do everything I can.
    -Sec. Clinton
  16. visionary
    a person with unusual powers of foresight
    When I was in law school, I had the opportunity to mead a visionary woman, named Marian Wright Edelman, who worked with Dr. King who was the first African-American woman who passed the Mississippi bar. I asked her for a job and she said she didn't have any money. I was working my way through law school and she said if I could get a job and get myself paid, she would give me a job. So I got a law students' Civil Rights Research Council Grant.
    - Sec. Clinton
  17. resign
    accept as inevitable
    Well, thank you very much for not being resigned to that horrendous situation, but being prepared to stand up and fight back ... That's what we need all over this country.
    - Sen. Sanders
    This was the beginning of Senator Sanders' response to a question from a woman who asked about Detroit's crumbling school system. Sanders was thanking the questioner for not giving up on a school system that faces many difficulties.
  18. gregarious
    temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
    I talked to a mother. Imagine this for a second, imagine a mother who had a bright seven-year-old gregarious girl doing well in school. Two years later, that child is now in special education, intellectual capabilities significantly deteriorated. That is a crime against that child, and the people of Flint. And, clearly, people are going to have to be held accountable.
    -Sen. Sanders
  19. emulate
    strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
    we are spending almost three times as much as they spend in the U.K. for health care for our people. We are spending 50 percent more than the French. When we talk about Europe and their pluses and minuses, one thing they have done well that we should emulate and that is guaranteed health care for all people for a better care for all.
    - Sen. Sanders
  20. candid
    openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness
    You know, I am proud to have been endorsed by the AFT and the NEA, and I've had very good relationship with both unions, with their leadership. And we've really candid conversations because we are going to have to take a look at -- what do we need in the 21st century to really involve families, to help kids who have more problems than just academic problems?
    - Sec. Clinton
    The AFT is the American Federation of Teachers and the NEA is the National Education Association. Both of these labor unions for teachers have endorsed Secretary Clinton for president.
Created on Sun Mar 06 22:35:08 EST 2016 (updated Mon Mar 07 11:13:51 EST 2016)

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