Extra Credit

You've registered. You've researched. Citizen Jane, you're ready to vote!

But if you feel like you've just seen the tip of the political iceberg, here is where you can learn more about what lies beneath the surface of American politics....

C-SPAN.org

You know about C-SPAN's coverage of the House floor, and yes, maybe it does remind you of paint drying. But check out the reams of other great stuff from C-SPAN. From unguarded moments on the campaign trail to debates for your state's Senate seat to the actual audio recordings of LBJ in the White House, this site is a treasure trove for the political nerd in you.

FactCheck.org

Before you believe everything you read, see, or hear, go to this independent and well- researched site to see if it’s even true.

FEC.gov

The Federal Election Commission's "People Finder" will tell you who is giving to which federal campaigns. Curious if your neighbor, boss or BFF is a Leftie or a Rightie? Find out here, along with what the campaigns do with all that money.

Nick Olsen Style

The man who brought us Domino magazine’s Deal Hunter blog now has his own stylish nook on the web. It's not at all political, but who cares? Where else can you find out about design on the cheap while also reading things like: “If you like it, then you better put a shade on it”?

OpenSecrets.org

If the FEC’s site is the map of money in American politics, OpenSecrets is its Google Map. Drill down through the numbers to see the stories they tell. But be warned- it’s not pretty.

RealClearPolitics Poll Page

RealClearPolitics Poll page - Who’s up in the polls? Who’s down? This site keeps the polls straight and gives you a handy average of all of them. Keep in mind the advice I got recently from a pollster, however: an average bad polls is a bad average.

The SCOTUS Blog

SCOTUS is not something you catch, it's the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS- get it?), and the SCOTUS Blog breaks the latest news and analysis about the Court every day. Huge issues related to your local community (like property rights or race in education) ultimately get decided by the Court, so ignore this co-equal branch of the government at your own peril.

Stateline.org

Funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, Stateline publishes daily, state-by-state political and policy news. If you have a local issue in your community, Stateline shows you if other states are going though something similar and what they're doing about it.

Thomas.gov

Who asked for the Bridge to Nowhere? What's in the health care reform bill? Has your congressman EVER passed a bill? The Library of Congress' Thomas website (named for Thomas Jefferson) lets you search bills, votes, treaties, committee reports and lots of other documents.

The Truth-o-Meter

Is there any better punishment for a politician lying than getting the dreaded “Pants on Fire” rating? I don’t think so. Enjoy this gem from the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly now and thank me for telling you about it later.