Reddit mentions of American Government

Glad to hear it! Here's some ideas for self-education for basic civcs:

1. Pretend you're an immigrant and you need to pass the citizenship test for the US. This should help educate you on the basic structure of government. This is the right starting point: http://tinyurl.com/24wqrle Then, take and pass the test.
   
   
2. Never, ever take at face value the claims the claims of TV or radio hosts or guests discussing politics or government, particularly on popular commercial programs. These programs are not for education. They are there to make money by creating spectacle and conflict, then selling ads to companies who want to sell products to the crowd attracted by the spectacle. Never, ever watch these shows without a deeply critical eye and ear. Always research the things you hear claimed on these shows before believing or repeating anything you hear.
   
   
3. Never, ever, take at face value the claims of politicians running for office. Their statements are not intended to educate. Their statements are there for one reason: to gather your political support - your vote, your money contribution, your volunteer time. Always research the things you hear claimed by politicians before you decide on the validity of any statement.
   
   
4. Head to the library and read:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/American-Civics-Grades-9-12/dp/0030377781/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324590820&sr=8-1
   
   http://www.amazon.com/American-Government-Robert-Heineman/dp/0070282153/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1324590820&sr=8-4
   
   When you've got these under your belt, move up to College level educational writing on US civics and government. Try:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/American-Government-College-Examination-Program/dp/0837353513/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324591013&sr=1-2
   
   
5. Always, always read more than you watch TV or listen to radio. The only exception to this is watching C-SPAN, which is non-commercial and very educational because most of what it does is point a camera onto the government itself and on the people in it. Your order of importance/reliability in sources about this subject should be:
   
   

1. textbooks
   
2. c-span
   
3. newspapers/news web sites
   
4. public affairs blogs
   
5. political blogs
   
6. talk radio/TV
   
   Note that every one of these sources is subject to distortions of the truth, but the lower ranked sources are by far the most prone to distortions.
   
   This isn't especially difficult stuff when you're interested in how government works - but it does take more time and effort than you are led to think it does. One great rule of thumb: becoming educated on a complicated topic in civics/government always takes longer than commercial TV or talk radio has time for.
   
   Good luck and thanks for asking. I hope I helped.
   
   EDIT: bad grammar