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“I am the law” is a phrase attributed to Frank Hague, the mayor of Jersey City from 1917 until he retired in 1947. He is remembered as the ultimate political boss, in an era when bosses ruled local politics.

Hague …

Despite a storied career as a lawmaker and diplomat, Henry Clay is probably best-remembered for a speech in which he said, “I’d rather be right than be president.”

Clay’s complex stance on slavery probably lost him the chance at winning …

Impeachment is the process by which a public official, such as the President of the United States, can be removed from office for committing “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

This process is outlined in the …

An imperial presidency which one characterized by greater powers than are clearly provided for in the Constitution.

The historian Arthur Schlessinger popularized the term with a book, Imperial Presidency, published in 1973. Schlessinger’s book focused on what he saw …

An incumbent is an official who already holds a political office.

A lot of ink has been spilled about whether the incumbent has a better chance of winning elections than a challenger does.

In presidential races, at least, the incumbent …

The “incumbent rule” is a rule of thumb used by pollsters that says incumbents rarely get a higher percentage in the election than they receive in polls, and that voters still undecided on the very last poll tend to “break” …

An influence peddler is one who uses their political influence to try and win favors for others. An influence peddler is a bit of a wheeler dealer or power broker, trading access in exchange for payment in one form …

In 2017, President Donald Trump announced plans for an “infrastructure week,” a series of high-profile events which were aimed at building support for the president’s trillion-dollar plan to rebuild the country’s highways and bridges.

Said Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn: …

The term “inside baseball” refers to any subject matter which is considered too highly specialized to be appreciated by the general public.

In politics, inside baseball usually refers to the technical details and the finer points of political strategy, as …

“Inside the Beltway” is a term used to describe the political landscape and culture within the Capital Beltway, the Interstate 495 highway that encircles Washington, D.C.

It is often used to refer to the political and media establishments within …

An invisible primary is said to begin when a candidate formally announces their plans to run for office.

It comes to a close when the actual primary season begins.

The invisible primary is a testing-ground for candidates and their advance …

During the Cold War, the division between western Europe and the Soviet bloc countries was called the “iron curtain.” The iron curtain was never a physical barrier, but served as a metaphor to describe the limit of Soviet influence.

The …

“It’s the economy stupid” was a phrase coined by James Carville in 1992, when he was advising Bill Clinton in his successful run for the White House.

In 1992, the US was experiencing an economic recession and the …