Democrat vs Republican Help!?

Question

Hello! My name is Amanda and I’m a junior at Umass Lowell. I’m a music education major. I never was that interested in politics but now as I’m getting older I’m finding myself more and more interested.
Is there a book that you know of that is a good intro to politics that isn’t a textbook?
At this point, I also don’t even know what I would be considered, democrat or republican! I need some help! I'm looking for a book that isn't too biased (but of course, bias is almost inevitable..) :-)

Any help is much appreciated!! Thank you so much!!

~Amanda

I believe it says that I am "more interestED" not interesting... and no, I'm in college, college is out already, however, I am taking summer classes.

Answer 1

You are correct. Bias is inevtible.

I'll tell you right out that I am biased. There are more than 2 parties in America, so don't think you are limited to the Democrats and Republicans. I don't vote for the party - I vote for the candidates. The candidate whose ideals I agree with most will get my vote. In that case, a candidate who stands for my civil liberties, economic freedom, sound foreign policy, and balanced budget wins my vote. That candidate is Ron Paul (R-TX).

Read his book: The Party System (Paperback)
by Hilaire Belloc (Author), Ron Paul (Foreword), Sforza Ruspoli (Preface)

Challenge to Liberty. Lake Jackson, TX: Foundation for Rational Economics and Education

Gold, Peace, and Prosperity. Lake Jackson, TX: Foundation for Rational Economics and Education

Ten Myths About Paper Money. Lake Jackson, TX

Foundation for Rational Economics and Education

The Case for Gold. Reprinted by Cato Institute, 1982; Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2007. ISBN 0-932790-31-3.

A Republic, If You Can Keep It

Mises and Austrian Economics: A Personal View. Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 1984.

Freedom Under Siege: The U.S. Constitution After 200 Years. Lake Jackson, TX: Foundation for Rational Economics and Education, 1987. ( Book distributed with permission in 7 parts in pdf-format)

A Foreign Policy of Freedom. Lake Jackson, TX: Foundation for Rational Economics and Education, 2007. ISBN 0-912453-00-1

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003726451_rams30.html?syndication=rss

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul

http://www.ronpaul2008.com


But don't take my word for it. Do your own research, and make your own opinion. Think for yourself.

Answer 2

Don't worry about books for right now, because without the proper insight, you won't be able to tell when you're reading into a bias or a lie and when you're not.

Start by looking at all of the websites of the people running for president, and break down the issues. What are you for and what are you against? That's usually where a lot of people stop though, and if you want to truly become informed, you'll need to break down each of their stances.

Think of it this way...nobody likes to see poor people remain poor and suffer, however, one candidate may have one solution and hopefully, the opponent (R or D) will have one as well. Each one will be different, and you'll need to dive into the details to see why. While you may agree that ending poverty is a worthwhile goal, you may not agree with the routes that each candidate is proposing to get us there, you know?

You also need to remain true to yourself, and not to a political party. It seems like common sense, but you'll soon find out that there's a very small amount of room left in politics for common sense. You see it all the time...and especially in here...where people will blindly support their political party thinking that the ENTIRE party is working towards the same goals and doing so via the same routes. Fact of the matter is that that is never the case.

More than anything though...question everything, regardless of who says what or why. Too many people treat politics like it's American Idol, and that the winner gets a 4-6 year contract to make law. These people are elected to be the representatives of all of us, and their decisions will determine the coure of the future for me, you, our country and our children. These people aren't just getting 'jobs', they're being entrusted with the lives of 300+ million Americans in a world that--at times--is overflowing with hatred and chaos.

Government is a very complicated beast, and there are entirely too many places where people can hide information in the wide open. What I mean is, someone may propose a bill to Congress, and on paper, it may be brilliant. However, 450 pages into that proposal, there may be a clause where $4 billion is allocated for some small time organization conducting some goofy study by this one professor who just so happens to be best friends with the author of the bill. I gues...in other words...follow the money.

Once you've made it to the point where you've established what your own politics are (and you don't need books, politicians, parents and especially anyone on here telling you what they are) THEN you can begin diving into the politically charged books and movies to look at a point and say, "hmmm, interesting". Keeping on your toes and honest with yourself though will require you to question everything like I said.

Personally, I'd recommend Atlas Shugged, by Ayn Rand. It's not a political book, and it's not even non-ficiton. It's a looong book about a woman who takes over her father's Railroad in a time representing the 20s to the 40s. All of the politics in this book are hidden under the surface, and I've always thought of it as a good way to guage where you stand fiscally (money). You could also look into some of the older philosophers like Plato, Machiavelli, Socrates even Marx and Lennin. That list alone should cover the spectrum for you pretty well.

Also, there's nothing wrong with taking a little bit from each side. Fiscally, I'm extremely conservative, but when it comes to the social aspects of life, I'm a little more open to interpretations and may just call myself a moderate or soemthing.

It'll take time, and chances are, you'll have nothing more than a slightly informed decision to make by 2008, but in time, if you keep up with your research and desire to see results and not just lipservice, you'll find yourself running circles around anyone who argues politics with you.

Answer 3

Save yourself some money and listen to the Democrat and Republican debates.

If you find yourself agreeing more with the Democratic candidates, then you can probably consider yourself a Democrat.

If you find yourself agreeing more with the Republicans, then you're probably a Republican.

As someone who is a registered Republican, though, do yourself a favor. Be an independent first. Learn to listen to both sides of an issue, get as much factual information as you can, and make a decision based on the issues and not based on what your party supports.

Answer 4

I would not try to classify yourself as either Democrat or Republican. Try to learn the issues and where you stand on them. Some important issues in no particular order that you should think about:

Universal Healthcare: Should the government provide healthcare for everyone through increased taxes?

Social Security: How can we keep this program funded without cutting benefits to current retirees? Should we use private retirement accounts? Increase the retirement age?

Energy Policy: How can we promote the use of alternative energy to both protect the environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil?

Big or small government: Is it better to have a big government that provides lots of services or a small one which provides lots of personal freedom?

Immigration: How can we solve the illegal immigration problem? How do we change our immigration policy?

Terrorism: What can we do to effectively combat terrorism without taking away personal rights?

Education: How can we improve our education system, particularly in math and science, where we lag behind the rest of the industrialized world? Is centralized control of education and standards better than local or state control?

Think about these issues and find candidates who agree with you on them. Avoid basing your decision solely on fringe issues like abortion. Base your choice on the issues, not party lines. Generally, getting news from a variety of sources can help you form an unbiased opinion. Read books by both conservative and liberal authors to see what both sides have to say (I would avoid Ann Coulter and Al Franken as they are nothing more than political assassins).

Answer 5

I recommend you register to vote as an independent. The problem with finding a book to go through all of this is that you would never find a book that is unbiased. we have come to a place in American politics that what team you are on is more important than any issues or the good of the country. It is all BLUE rhetoric and RED rhetoric. Go speak to someone at the League of Women Voters to give you the low down....

Answer 6

Honestly, it is a difficult decision as to which party to claim. I had trouble at first. I was a Democrat, mainly because everyone in my family was. But as I grew older, I started to experience and understand exactly what the Democrats stand for. I do not agree with most of their beliefs, now or ever.

I consider myself a conservative.

Some great conservative authors to look for include: Glenn Beck (humorous politics); Sean Hannity; Bill O'Reilly (not one of my favorites, but he's got some good points); Rush Limbaugh; Anne Coulter......there are so many!

I have also found that Quinn & Rose on XM Newstalk radio is very informative.

Some great websites: http://www.foxnews.com (generally unbiased news) and http://www.newsmax.com.

Answer 7

no longer likely, this is greater like this Democrat vs. Republican= appropriate government administration of your existence to the smallest factor vs. own duty. additionally, i understand numerous Democrats who're wealthy outdoors of Hollywood. What you're spouting is the left wing mantra that has been around for some years.

Answer 8

You can find millions of books that will explain the ideologies behind the parties and what they claim to believe. But if you really want to learn about how our government works you should read "Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government" by P. J. O'Rourke. It's funny, somewhat satirical, and dead-on accurate. You can read it without getting bored, and there's enough info that several times you'll sit up and ask, "Really? They can really DO that?"

Answer 9

Maybe one of the "for Dummies" books? The best option would be for you to check out "U.S. History for Dummies". From there, you can trace the history of both parties as they weave throughout history. (An interesting issue, for example, would be to see how the African-american voted shifted from the Republicans to the Democrats during the "Southern Strategy).

Hope this helps.

Answer 10

I always said there are two kinds of republicans , rich ones and stupid ones . The democrats have problems but they bring more stability and that is a big help when you you are getting yourself established and /or trying to raise a family .
With republicans you are goingto get lay offs and chaos .
With excuses , lots and lots of excuses . No actual positive results, but LOTS of excuses .