Python variables are scoped to the innermost function, class, or module in which they’re assigned. Control blocks like if and while blocks don’t count, so a variable assigned inside an if is still scoped to a function, class, or module.
(Implicit functions defined by a generator expression or list/set/dict comprehension do count, as do lambda expressions. You can’t stuff an assignment statement into any of those, but lambda parameters and for clause targets are implicit assignment.)