Asylum

Protection in a foreign nation. A person receives asylum when fleeing their home country for political reasons. For example, if you speak out against a dictator and are forced to leave your country to avoid being imprisoned or murdered, you might seek asylum in another country—probably one that's friendly to your cause. Political asylum is not to be confused with psychiatric institutions, like Arkham Asylum from the Batman comics.

Four Freedoms

In 1941, when President Franklin Roosevelt was pressuring the U.S. Congress to take a greater role in World War II (the U.S. hadn't yet entered the war), he spoke of "four freedoms" that everyone in the world should be entitled to: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want (in other words, freedom from economic insecurity), and freedom from fear. The four freedoms became the philosophical basis of the Allies' war against Hitler. They influenced ex-first lady Eleanor Roosevelt when she helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Nationality

Belonging to a country. If you're from the United States, your nationality is American. Nationality is a legal status distinct from race, ethnicity, and religion.

Right

Something you are entitled to based on law and/or morality. Governments of free countries are supposed to protect the rights of their citizens. Examples of rights include voting, free speech, and—according to the Beastie Boys—partying.

Self-Determination

The theory that countries should be able to determine their own form of government, rather than having one imposed on them from the outside. President Franklin Roosevelt favored self-determination as a key pillar of the Allies' war aims.

Socialism/Communism

A political and economic system in which the community as a whole owns the means of production (that is, all the stuff that comprises the economy). This is in contrast to capitalism, in which individuals own everything. During the Cold War, communist countries (the Soviet Union) disagreed with capitalist countries (the United States) on how to best protect human rights.

Social Security

Government programs that support people financially through supplemental income, unemployment insurance, retirement benefits, or other welfare programs. In the United States, social security was first implemented by President Franklin Roosevelt, in response to the economic hardships of the Great Depression, through a series of programs called the New Deal.

Tribunals

A fancy word for "court." The word is often used to refer to international courts that deal with war crimes and other international crimes. It's definitely a more intimidating word than "court." Next time you're threatening someone with a lawsuit, say, "I'll see you at the tribunal."

United Nations

An intergovernmental organization formed in 1945 to maintain world peace. The United Nations started out as a pact between the Allies during World War II and expanded to more than 50 countries in the aftermath of the war. It replaced the defunct League of Nations, an international body created after World War I.

Key features of the U.N. include the General Assembly, which is kind of like a massive international parliament, and the Security Council. The Security Council consists of five permanent members with nuclear arsenals: the U.S., Russia (formerly the USSR), France, Britain, and China, as well as a rotating supporting cast.

World War II

The most consequential conflict in the history of humanity, fought between 1939 and 1945. World War II involved every major world power and pitted the Axis powers (led by Germany, Italy, and Japan) against the Allies (the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, France, and eventually the United States). The war resulted in an unprecedented loss of human life, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The formation of the United Nations was largely intended to prevent another world war on this scale.

Also, it was the sequel to World War I—bet you never would have guessed that.