Top venues for learning about US politics

If you are a student of American politics, then this post early in the academic year could well be my most important…

These are the sites I most frequently plunder when trying to keep abreast of developments in US politics. These are also the places therefore that I suggest students of the subject try to access as much as possible when trying to get to grips with the politics of the USA. In the same way as linguists recommend immersion learning when studying a new language, getting stuck into some of the US sites really does help.

1. My personal favourite is the Daily Show. UK viewers can catch this acerbic analysis of the latest developments in US politics on More 4 nightly at 8.30. If you miss it, you can catch up on 4OD.

2. If you have satellite TV, Fox News is available on certain packages. An extreme perspective, giving analysis through a prism of right wing politics!

3. The Economist US section offers a good overview of the main stories of the week and frequently carries intelligent insight. Highly recommended.

4. When I used to take the Sunday Times (I have now signed up to break through the pay wall, but that’s another story) the first page I would look for is Andrew Sullivan’s column. Sullivan is a Brit, now resident in the US and his perspective is always refreshing.

5. Keeping it simple, and giving a very nuts and bolts explanation is the BBC news UK and Canada site. For those new to the subject, this may well be the first port of call.

6. If you want to sign up for the harder stuff, and feel you have the potential to develop into a US politics junkie, then the next couple of sites are for you. The Washington Post is arguably still the most widely respected newspaper for events inside the beltway. You can download the link to your smartphone, or sign up for email updates - just be careful not to sign up for too many options!!

7. The New York Times goes into similar depth and detail - for instance if you wanted a five page analysis of the Supreme Court’s last session with accompanying graphics, then this is the place for you. Again, email updates are also an option if you want to be informed on the go, perhaps as you travel to and from your place of study??

8. CNN is a clever combination of written analysis and video highlights from its broadcasts. An example of the latter is this excellent piece on the importance of Ohio at election time.

9. The top academic on US politics, Larry Sabato of the Univ of Virginia runs an electoral analysis site. If psephological stats are for you, then this is heaven!

10. To round off the list, there are dozens more I could include, but wondered if readers thought there was a “must see” that I missed out. Comments welcome…