Many people are easily caught up by influencers on social media, gossip, and adverts they see on the TV in today’s world.
The amount of the time you invest doing this could be spent investing in politics.
What we mean by this is that learning, knowing, and practicing politics could give you great power to change your life and the life of others around you.
Why is politics beneficial?
The truth is there are many more advantages than those listed above when it comes to politics. Choose to be invested in politics because:
- It allows you to know your rights
- Politics can create a stable and practical attitude
- It helps you undergo critical thinking
- You get to fully understand what’s going on around you
These are just a few benefits of why politics is so useful to understand. But, the surprising thing is that many Americans are not reaping these benefits; a lot of the nation knows little about politics.
A survey was conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania found that only a quarter of Americans could name all three branches of government. Plus, only 37% could not manage to recall one right protected by the First Amendment.
Shocking, right?
Most of the time, many people just don’t know where to start and give up trying to learn more about politics. But, like many others, you can understand it and have the power to change that by utilizing some helpful resources.
Top resources to help your knowledge about American Politics
Just like any new industry, you have to start somewhere before your knowledge gets better. No one is an expert overnight, but with time you can be. To help you know more about what’s going on in our country, check out these resources:- Edx
- Start reading news
- The New York Times
- The Wall Street Journal
- Bloomberg
- Ask questions
- Political history books and textbooks
- Dive into the national archives
One of the best ways to boost your political knowledge of the USA is to check out Edx. This is a global nonprofit website that has lots of free online courses on politics. Yes, they’re free!
Some you do have to pay for, but for a large majority, you don’t need to unless you’re looking to buy a certificate. Their courses consist of many pre-recorded videos and weekly modules that you can work through at your own pace.
A lot of their courses contain supplemental readings, student discussion forums, and homework assignments. Plus, you get to learn firsthand from some of the world’s top institutions like Harvard, MIT, Boston, Berkeley, and more.
Ok, so this one is pretty much a no-brainer, but we will say it anyway! Learning about politics will require you to be frequently updated on the events currently happening in the USA and the world around you. That means you have to follow the news!
No, this is not going on short Tik Tok snippet style videos; you have to read and watch it when you can. But remember, not all journalistic outlets are reliable either; some are biased and may not work in your favor! The best and most reliable journalism websites and channels to follow are the following:
This is one of America’s most popular newspapers and sites. While a lot of it tends to be leaning towards the left, it’s a great place to go to keep updated on what’s happening in the country. This is because each journalist has ethics, and the paper itself abides by ethical standards when it comes to reporting politics and business.
You should definitely get copies of the largest circulated newspaper in all of the USA. Its editorials and columns have won Pulitzer Prizes for their remarkable journalism. It tends to lean more towards the business side.
This resource delivers news on politics, provides market analysis and news on the rest of the world.
These are just a few reliable sources where you can stay up to date on existing news related to politics in the USA. However, make sure you don’t stick to one source, vary your reading and look at multiple sources.
It’s also important to do this as some news sources lean towards the left, some to the right, and some are liberal, which will help you make your mind up on politics providing you with a balanced view.
Ok, so this isn’t a resource, but if you use your initiative and are not afraid of being in the dark with knowledge, you can ask questions to help extend your understanding of politics. One of the best ways to do this is by contacting members of your local political community or government via email and asking them questions to enrich your knowledge.
Just think about it; a lot of the time, they get bad emails or complaints, your email might be refreshing to them. You never know what their response could hold; they could send you useful reading materials or invite you to meet them yourself.
To be on top of where politics is at in the USA today, it might be beneficial for you to go back in time and build a baseline of knowledge from there. You could easily google search American politics for beginners and get book recommendations from there, or you could contact your local bookseller to gain greater insight and learn the basics easily and quickly.
If you have got the time and like reading, try diving into the National Archives. This will help you read reports, records and will have any information you need to know on American Politics in the country’s history. Be warned, though; you could slide down a dark hole and lose hours with all these documents, photos and records you can find!