Not Interested In Politics? 4 Ways To Dip Your Toes In Without Feeling Overwhelmed

Our country is stuck in a toxic cycle of political polarization. Hyperpartisanship appears to be at an all-time high in America – unlike previous decades, when it seemed like people could, I don’t know, marry someone without even having brought up what political party they’re registered under. But people on the left and on the right distrust one another, and sometimes, it’s for sadly justifiable reasons. 

Without naming names, I have firsthand experience of a person in my life openly sharing their desire for former President Donald Trump to face an unthinkable end. It’s not hyperbole – some left-leaning folk really do yell at their televisions wishing death upon their perceived enemies. But it’s not just the left that has a problem.

As effective as accounts like Libs of TikTok are in exposing just how openly radical Marxists have become, some right-of-center folk use lolcow videos as their own personal rage bait. Then, they respond with levels of hatred and viciousness you know they’d never dare to speak to that person’s face. So yeah, the political climate sucks. And we dig our toes in deeper every time we treat political races no differently from the addictive reality television shows that alleged intellectuals clown on.

I can’t blame you for getting an ick so impossible to overlook that you just want to opt out of the whole process. Plus, so many policy issues are tough to parse through unless you’ve got a good grasp on legislative language, so I also can’t blame you if you feel underprepared and unqualified to have an opinion on any particular subject. 

But your opinions matter. Your vote matters. No matter your level of education or your current occupation, if you’re an eligible voter, you have the opportunity to shape your future in more ways than one. It’s not just about the big-ticket races where you may think your vote doesn’t tip the scales. It’s about developing a broad, healthy interest in the political process and relishing an opportunity to participate in democracy, something that countless people around the world would give a proverbial arm and a leg to have access to.

1. Make Sure You Know the Difference Between Politics and Policy

First off, you need to understand the differences and similarities between politics and policy. It’s pretty easy to mix them up, but that simple mistake often ends up being a barrier to entry for people confronted with the political process.

Politics is the necessary evil for policy to happen. Think of politics as the competition for power and overall influence to control how our government operates. Policy is the actual method for enacting change. Think of policy as the specific strategies, regulations, rules, guidelines, or lack thereof that are used to govern society. Politicians use politics to get elected so they can enact specific policies that achieve their goals.

You don’t need to get caught up in the day-to-day rat race that we call politics. Oftentimes, it’s more trouble than it’s worth, as it’s either candidates of the same political party bickering amongst each other or candidates of opposing political parties using ad hominem and straw man fallacies to attack the other person’s character and grasp for power.

But, you should understand how the policies that politicians pass can affect you. That way you aren’t blindsided when, for instance, your governor, your congressional representatives, or members from your state legislature pass sanctuary state (or city!) laws and then illegal immigration suddenly poses a greater threat to your family’s safety and security. 

Or here’s something else that might resonate with you: It’s worth following matters of policy because President Joe Biden’s once proposed energy policy to force us all to shift to “green” resources rather than gasoline and natural gas would ensure that, when you fill up your gas tank, you’ll continue to pay a high cost. I’m sure you’re feeling the effects of inflation. 

Some politicians, however, have proposed solutions to reduce how much you spend at the grocery store and gas pump. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was passed two years ago in the Senate by a tie-breaking vote from Vice President (and current Democratic presidential nominee) Kamala Harris and a signature to turn it into law from President Biden.

But as my colleague over at Independent Women’s Forum’s Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO), director Patrice Onwuka, pointed out, the IRA “was a farce.” CEO’s Senior Policy Analyst Carrie Sheffield explained that President Biden and Vice President Harris’s policy decisions caused “cumulative inflation of 20%,” which has hit “poor and middle-class families hardest, eroding wages and buying power.”

The largest Hispanic-owned food brand in America, Goya, said that because the price of cans increased 64% two years ago, their prices for cans of beans has had to increase by 50%. So if you used to buy Goya black beans, a nutritious pantry staple for under a buck before President Biden, you’re now likely paying $1.50. Sure, beans may seem like a silly example, but canned protein (and fiber!) sources like that are sometimes all that a family can afford when they’re living paycheck to paycheck.

You should regularly ask yourself versions of the following questions: With the people who represent you at every level in government, have they helped make your life better than it was before? Was the world more peaceful and was your town safer than it was before? 

There’s a reason why, when Democrat President Jimmy Carter and Republican nominee Ronald Reagan were duking it out during the 1980 presidential debate, soon-to-be President Reagan dished out the classic line: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

It’s simple, it’s effective, and now you have current candidates using the exact same messaging. Even though we were under lockdowns and experiencing unprecedented power grabs during the response to Covid-19, many young Americans don’t feel they’re better off today than they were four years ago. Less than a quarter of U.S. adults feel better off since President Biden took office, while 41% reported they feel worse off, according to an AP-NORC poll from earlier this year.

You don’t need to spend every waking hour refreshing X to see what the latest political drama is, and you don’t have to know every last detail about specific policies before you cast your vote. But it’s a unique blessing for us as Americans to have the power we do to positively impact not only our own lives, but the lives of loved ones and those who we may not agree with!

2. Curate Your Fave, Trusted News and Social Media Sources

So what are the easiest ways to stay in-the-know and parse through hyperpartisanship? For starters, let’s acknowledge that all writers have some sort of bias. I’m sure you can deduce my own biases from how I pepper snark or scrutiny through my articles. But biases aren’t really a bad thing.

I actually like to follow both right-of-center and left-of-center publications so I can see how different perspectives respond to current events. That way, I can try to take a more balanced, calm, and logical approach to how I feel about specific policies. Not only do I read articles from The Federalist and Fox News, but I also read ones from The Washington Post and The Hill. 

You can track publications by subscribing to their individual newsletters, following their social media accounts, or bookmarking their websites, but if you’re really strapped for time, you can follow news aggregate services that round up headlines for you. 

I would encourage you to sign up to receive Evie’s The Glance in your email inbox daily (which I did even before I started writing for this publication) because our team puts together quick and easily digestible overviews of politics that include both the left’s and the right’s perspective, as well as light-hearted topics like entertainment news. 

I also like the website AllSides, as they identify the biggest current events and then provide genuinely diverse perspectives from the left, the moderates, and the right. Because I care about perspectives, I don’t only browse Revolver or Citizen Free Press (two conservative aggregates that took over after Drudge flopped), but I also look at Axios, for example.

3. Get a Bit of a Refresher on Civics

In addition to staying in-the-know about current policy issues, you may also want to take a refresher on civics. Beyond an AP Government class I took my senior year of high school, I can’t say I was well equipped by any of my teachers to understand civics.

Various organizations offer free civics education so you can learn the foundations of America’s national government. Khan Academy has a U.S. government and civics course, iCivics has games and video lessons, the Center for Civic Education has ebooks and webinars, and the National Constitution Center has an 8-week course on the Constitution. If you don’t mind a partisan angle, Hillsdale College has a Constitution 101 course online for free that contains over 10 hours of educational content.

Once you learn how our government works, you’ll probably notice that we don’t just have the federal government (thank goodness!). We also have state and local governments so each state can have its own unique policies tailored to unique populations. You can use the USA.gov website’s state and local governments section to learn more about your own state’s legislative process, who represents you, and much more.

Sometimes, state policy affects you more than federal policy, such as in educational systems, healthcare programs, law enforcement, transportation, infrastructure, and employment. 

I know this especially to be the case in the state I call home, California. What passes in California is typically the most progressive state-specific policies that are then used as models for other states around the nation. For instance, we’ve got one of the highest minimum wages. California also passed a controversial law known by some as the Uber bill (AB 5), which threatened the livelihoods of many independent contractors and small business owners, from florists to Santa impersonators.

4. Cozy Up with Evie’s Own Political Content

As the election season sneaks up on us, your girlies here at Evie have also started curating some politics-lite content to help you digest everything that’s going on. 

We’ve got a list of 15 books for you to read (exposés, memoirs, and analytical critiques) to gear up for the election, my personally curated list of women’s rights I actually care about voting for (and the ones I definitely don’t), a cheeky quiz to get an idea of each presidential candidate’s proposed platforms, and we’re just getting started. 

Closing Thoughts

I completely sympathize with all the women out there who witness how hostile and vitriolic America’s political climate can be and just want to totally tune out. But civics isn’t just arguing online endlessly with people you’ll probably never meet. You can have a healthy relationship with civic engagement, where you stay in the know about federal, state, and local policies, but don’t raise your blood pressure with all of the hyperpartisan ragebaiting on social media.