The constant battle between the two major political parties is a well-advertised topic. Government policies and the actions of politicians are continuously broadcasted as well as the various reactions from other politicians, ordinary citizens and interest groups. After taking AP U.S. Government and Politics last year, the number of close friends and people I know that pay attention to politics has exponentially increased, especially with the upcoming 2016 presidential election. For some of us former students, keeping up with politics has almost become second nature, and understanding what’s currently happening is much easier after learning all the content. To be honest, this year was perhaps one of the “best” years to be taking this class: the timing coincided right with the primaries/caucuses, a Supreme Court justice died right as we started our chapter about the judicial branch, etc. (most of my class agreed that this was more creepy than providential but let’s look on the positive side of the situation.) Learning about the different ideologies is beneficial to giving students a more rounded view of our government and the various actions politicians take to try to improve our country. However, even though we are taught the different views political parties have, people still tend to pick sides and advocate for a single political view. Of course, students should be learning this material and understanding it; it’s not wrong to pick a view that fits their beliefs better.
Especially with the debate over who will be the next president and the qualifications of the candidates, the media has positively exploded with support and criticism. Not only do we see all these advertisements all over social media, people are personally sharing their personal views on their accounts as well. It’s not just online either, and even in day-to-day conversations, people are constantly talking about the primaries/caucuses’ results, who they think will come out on top in the polls and their views on the different candidates.
While most of my close friends support one party, there are those few that have radically different ideas on the government’s policies. Naturally, when the topic of government actions comes up, these differing sides clash. Yes, it’s nice to hear everyone’s opinion about various issues. Arguing about the merits of certain governmental actions allows us to see the problem and potential solutions from multiple angles and gives a more well-rounded view of the issue. However, despite the benefits, the resulting heated arguments and awkward tensions in relationships because of these discussions sometimes don’t feel worth the trouble. I’m not advocating nor rejecting a certain party, but sometimes dealing with the constant battles over essentially the same issues all the time can get tiring. I understand that one may have incredibly strong feelings about a certain topic, but is it really necessary to constantly harp over how one party is so obviously superior in their beliefs over another?
I don’t mean to say it’s necessarily wrong to discuss politics with one’s peers. However, one should keep in mind the sentiments of those who do not follow government actions as ardently as oneself and those who hear the same arguments over and over again.
