Hi, my name is Shamina! I am a political science major with a minor in journalism, and I’d like to help you feel a little less hopeless. Considering recent shifts in the U.S. government, I think it is especially important to know where to find credible, reliable political information— formally and informally. I realize that not everyone wants to read through long articles or bills and may feel inclined to ignore politics altogether, but there’s hope! You can get the gist of things without having to go down a political rabbit hole. Here is a list of easy, credible sources for information on the U.S. federal government so you can make sure you remain informed.
- GOVINFO.COM
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This website is a one-stop shop that provides free access to official publications from all three branches of government. This information is provided by the United States Government Publishing Office, which means this website is giving you information directly from the government—directly from the source. Tied to this is another resource, the GPO’s own website, where they have a guide for learning more about government systems. Your research will not make sense if you don’t first understand the basic concept of how the government works!
- THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
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The Wall Street Journal is an excellent way to stay on top of economic/financial news and anything that affects the economy, globally and locally. They frequently include important political updates on their website because— as we all know —politics and economics go hand in hand. I especially like the WSJ because they try their best to keep their reports opinion-free and aim to report on the facts exclusively. And a bonus: if you are a UofSC student, you can access the WSJ for free through the university’s library. To set it up, just go to the university library website, click on Wall Street Journal Higher Education Membership, and create an account. You can then get the app on your phone so that you can get notifications in real-time.
- THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
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The Library of Congress reports exclusively on Congress and is provided by the legislative branch. They are a real library in Washington, DC, so they have virtual librarians available to help you find something if you need to. They also have an organization chart on the website if you’re looking to learn more about their operations. The most important aspect of this library, however, is that you can sign up for their newsletter to get emails directly in your inbox when bills are passed.
- NEWSBANK
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NewsBank is a really great resource for formal research. This source provides conclusive, citable research on world news. It is not specific to America, but it does cover American news and research. It is really helpful if you’d like to stay on top of current domestic and international events. It is probably going to be more useful for those who are studying politics. Still, I encourage everyone to take a look!
- AARON PARNAS (TikTok)
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Of course, I included Aaron. I know most of us have probably seen at least one video of Aaron on our FYP reporting Breaking News. He is always very up-to-date with his reports, so he’s a very casual resource for just hearing about politics. If you haven’t yet heard of him, please do check him out. He’s been such an angel trying to keep the general public up to date with how fast executive orders are being passed.