The Defenestrations of Prague (Czech: Pražská defenestrace, German: Prager Fenstersturz) were two incidents in the history of Bohemia; there have been more, see below. The first occurred in 1419 and the second in 1618, although the term "Defenestration of Prague" more commonly refers to the later incident. Both helped to trigger prolonged conflict within Bohemia and beyond. Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window. == First Defenestration of Prague == The First Defenestration of Prague involved the killing of seven members of the city council by a crowd of radical...

Meritocracy (merit, from Latin mereō "earn" and -cracy, from Ancient Greek κράτος kratos "strength, power") is a political philosophy which holds that power should be vested in individuals almost exclusively according to merit. Advancement in such a system is based on intellectual talent measured through examination and/or demonstrated achievement in the field where it is implemented. == Definitions == === Early definitions === The "most common definition of meritocracy conceptualizes merit in terms of tested competency and ability, and most likely, as measured by IQ or standardized ach...