Essential US Political Science and Immigration Terms

Written on October 14, 2025 in English with a size of 3.16 KB

Foundational US Political Concepts

Limited Government: The principle that government power is restricted, positing that certain things are out of the government's boundaries because of citizens' natural rights.
Colonial Charters: Documents granted to American colonies by English kings establishing governments; they fostered the American tradition of written constitutions.
Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, drafted by James Madison, which place limitations on government and protect natural rights. Most state constitutions have a version of this.
Commonwealth: Although four states call themselves commonwealths (Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Kentucky), the term refers to any self-governing community and currently describes the government of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States.

Comparative Political Study: Comparing political institutions and behaviors from state to state and community to community to identify and explain similarities or differences.
Political Culture: Historical styles and traditions in states' politics that cannot be directly attributed to demographic factors.
Political Entrepreneurship: The tendency of candidates in electoral campaigns to propose policy innovations to publicize themselves and win votes.
Wedges: Moral issues designed to cause someone to cross party lines.

Liberalism: Refers to a state's tendency to expand welfare benefits, regulate business, adopt progressive state income taxes, and generally use the resources of government to achieve social change.
Conservatism: Refers to a state's tendency to limit welfare benefits, deregulate business, keep taxes low, and generally place less reliance on government and more on individuals and the marketplace to achieve social goals.

Aliens: Persons residing in a nation who are not citizens.
Political Refugee: Those residing in the U.S. because they have "a well-founded fear of persecution" in their country of origin.
Illegal Aliens: Persons residing illegally in the nation, sometimes referred to as undocumented residents.
Illegal Immigration: The unlawful entry of people from other nations into the United States.
Amnesty: Government forgiveness of a crime, usually granted to a group of people.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency: The federal agency responsible for the enforcement of immigration and customs laws.
Sanctuary Cities: Cities with politically liberal electorates that do not enforce federal immigration laws.

State Economic Development: Broadly defined as population growth and the education levels of a state’s population.
Income: Money that is received as a result of the normal business activities of an individual or business (e.g., wages).

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