Terms Glossary

Identity politics is the idea that people form political alliances based on their individual and collective identities, such as race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, or social background. It is an approach to politics that seeks to empower marginalized identities and groups, by recognizing their u...

Ideological siloing, also known as the creation of “echo chambers,” refers to the practice of surrounding oneself with people and information that reinforce existing beliefs while avoiding perspectives that challenge or differ from them.

Impeachment is a formal accusation made against a high-ranking public official such as the President or a member of the Supreme Court. It is used to investigate and decide whether the official should be removed from office. Examples of impeachable offenses include bribery, treason, and obstruction o...

An inauguration is the official ceremony marking the beginning of a public official’s term in office. It’s a symbolic and administrative event that represents the peaceful transfer of power, one of the core traditions of democracy.

Incrementalism is a strategy or set of policies that seeks to make small, gradual improvements in a system rather than sweeping, radical changes. It is based on the assumption that change is gradual, slow, and often difficult to achieve. Incrementalism is an approach to reform that seeks to graduall...

An incumbent is an individual who holds a political office at the time of an election. In the current two-party system in the United States, incumbents are usually candidates from the same party as the previous office holder. In some cases, an incumbent may be an independent candidate. However, this...

An independent is a citizen or candidate for political office who is not affiliated with any political party. In the United States, this can include candidates who run as independents or who seek office as members of third parties.

The Independent Party of Oregon is a political party that seeks to promote candidates who are independent of both the Republican and Democratic parties. Its mission is to provide Oregon with an alternative to the two-party system, and to represent those who do not identify with either major party. T...

Influence peddling is a form of political corruption where individuals leverage their positions, connections, or authority within government or other powerful institutions to obtain benefits or favors for third parties, typically in exchange for personal gain.

Instant-runoff meaning is a voting system designed to ensure that a majority of voters have their preferred candidate win, even when there are multiple candidates in the race and no single candidate has an outright majority. IRV works by having voters rank their preferred candidates in order of pref...

An insurance commissioner is a state-level regulator of insurance companies, responsible for overseeing and regulating the insurance industry within their state. Insurance commissioners are typically elected by the public, providing citizens with the opportunity to hold their elected officials accou...

An interest group is a collection of individuals who are united by a shared purpose or common interest in the promotion of a political agenda. Interest groups play a key role in American politics by advocating for the rights of their members, influencing public opinion, and attempting to shape publi...

In American politics, an Iron Triangle is an alliance between members of Congress, the governmental bureaucracy, and special interest groups. This alliance results in an increase in power and influence over policy making. The alliance is typically formed to promote a narrow set of interests that ben...

Isolationism is the political and economic policy of avoiding involvement in international affairs. It is a strategy of protectionism which generally seeks to avoid economic entanglements with other nations. It is often used to protect a nation's resources, economy, and citizens from the perceived d...

Issue advertising is an advertising campaign strategy that focuses on an issue rather than a specific political candidate or party. This form of advertising is often used by organizations looking to raise awareness about a particular issue or to encourage individuals to take action on social or poli...