With a fast and furious 24-hours news cycle it can be difficult keeping track of changes in the political landscape. This is especially true with a new president in office who makes headlines for something different on a daily basis. Yet, it is critical to keep up with current events in politics. For starters, whether you like it or not, it is what everyone is talking about. The last thing you want is to feel like the odd person out in a political conversation.
On a domestic level, being aware of the nation’s news can help you make better decisions regarding your daily life. To illustrate, if you know that changes will be made to current healthcare plans then you can adjust your modifications accordingly. In addition, if you are in the job market, it helps to know how the current political landscape is affecting the economy and employment trends. If the economy is doing better, and companies are hiring–you’ll know it’s a good time to go job hunting.
Many aspects of the political landscape affect our lives on a consistent basis. If you can’t tune into the news 24-hours a day, how do you keep up? Well, we’ve curated a list of the best political apps to keep you atop of the news cycle. Read on to learn more.
Politomix
If you need an app that consolidates political news, this is it. Instead of reading several different news sources on your own, Politomix does it all for you. One of its features is it will scan 40 of the top political news sources and sends breaking news to one portal for you. Plus, it is free on iOS. Moreover, the main interface showcases the most recent breaking headlines as a scrolling list with thumbnail images.
If any intrigue you, all you need to do is tap on it to read the entire story. Furthermore, it utilizes gestures that let you scan through stories quickly. On the other hand, you can set it to scan stories from your preferred sources. Although, it’s best to read from a variety of sources to see how differently the same news stories can be conveyed.
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Politifact
Let’s face it, we’ve become cynical when it comes to politicians spouting off promises that never seem to get filled. Well, Politifact uses in-house research to measure the truthfulness of a politician. This can be quite critical when it comes time to hit the voting booth. The app also features a “truth index,” and a daily tally showing how honest selected politicians have been based on their most recent statements. Oh, and that’s not all. It also comes with a flip-o-meter, which measures policy flip-flops. This app is quite fun.
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The Free United States Constitution App
Many politicians tout our Constitution, but how can you tell they’re being truthful if you haven’t read it in years? Now, all you have to do is tap it open on your mobile device. This app, by RBware features a plain, text-based interface which is easy to read. But, it also comes with similar documents such as the Magna Carta. Moreover, it gives you the option to open Wikipedia to do some further research on items of your choice.
Get The Free United States Constitution App Now
This isn’t a strict political app, but it is a popular news-aggregating app. As a result you can set it up to show only political news from the sources you prefer. It is also updated frequently so, you don’t have to worry about annoying and untimely crashes.
Get Flipboard Now
Congress+
It’s difficult keeping up with 535 members of Congress, especially when it’s not your job to do so. The good news is with Congress+, you don’t have to. This app, produced by the Cohen Research Group, gives comprehensive information on every member of the House and the Senate. In addition, it includes contact information, campaign statistics and biographical information. You also get to track any sponsored or co-sponsored bills and follow legislative activity in real time. If you want to get more local, you can choose an app by state such as Utah in Your Pocket.
The White House Official App
If you want to keep up with political news, then you definitely need to download the White House official app. It gives you an inside view of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with the White House blog, live streams, official photos, video archives and press briefings.
Sitegeist
We’re all curious by nature. If you’ve ever wondered about the political leanings of your neighborhood, Sitegeist offers a view of accessible statistics on political views in your area. For example, you can use your location to view political contributions by party and the voting habits of your neighbors. Hey, if it’s too one-sided in favor of your opposition, you may even move to another neighborhood.
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PollTracker
Who doesn’t love a good poll? PollTracker takes all available polling data, integrates it with regression analysis and produces averages as well as in-depth breakdowns. It also plots a politicians’ polling over time. You can also configure push notifications for new polling data.
With all of the apps above, you now have no excuse not to stay abreast of political news. Yet, you might find a few things quite surprising. Who know, you may even take interest in a political career as well.
This article was originally published on April 20th 2017.
