American Sniper has polarized the US in regards to patriotism, heroism, and politics in recent weeks. If this has brought you back into politics or has you thinking about getting into politics for the first time, then here are some of the apps you’re going to want to consider using.
These apps aren’t about being Red or Blue, Conservative or Liberal, or the other labels that get thrown about today. These apps are 100% for everyone.
#1. Politifact. If there’s one piece of common ground for everyone in the world, it’s the fact that a politician is going to exaggerate the truth from time to time. Some of them do it more often than others. This app will help you determine who really is telling the truth.
#2. Countable. This is for those American political junkies who want to know what their elected politicians are doing in Washington DC. It keeps track of more than just voting records, however, which is why it is such a great app. You’ll also be able to see overviews of the bills that are hitting the floor of Congress.
#3. Dollarocracy. Where are the politicians getting their money? How much are they spending? Millions of dollars flood political campaigns every year, which is not something that the average person can do with their finances. If you’d rather buy groceries with your cash than give it to a politician, you can still get some skin in the game with this app. You’ll be able to track the flow of cash and get a bigger picture of the political game. The Dollarocracy ebook is also a good read if you can afford the price.
#4. Sitegeist. This app is surprisingly useful as an augmented reality app just as much as it helps with politics. It will take the information of local public records, no matter where you happen to be, and even give you a weather report before you head outside. The population demographics are perfect for entrepreneurs, while sports junkies will like the in-depth information on local teams.
#5. Congressional Record. Did you know that there’s a record of every day of Congress that is considered public information? It hasn’t always been accessible to the average person, but it is today thanks to this app. It’s raw information that isn’t always easy to digest, yet still gives everyone a real chance to see what modern politics happens to be.
#6. Gallup. Many of the decisions that are made in the world today are based on polls taken of a general population. Gallup has mobile apps that give you access to this kind of information from the polls that they take. With information from 140 different countries, access to Gallup’s blog, and daily updates of information, this app gives you a political snapshot of the world at large.
#7. PolitiCam. Politics is some serious business, but it doesn’t have to be taken seriously every second of every day. This app brings forth the lighter side of the political spectrum by allowing you to take selfies with your favorite politicians. The images are edited, of course, and they aren’t 100% realistic, but they are 100% fun. Post them on your preferred social site and let everyone have a good laugh.
#8. BuyPartisan. In a world where corporations are treated as individuals, this app will help you know which political campaigns are being supported so you can spend according to your conscience. If the database wasn’t so limited, this would be an even better app, but the concept is good enough to help it make this list. Many of the largest organizations, such as Coca-Cola, do make the list.
#9. Pulse. Powered by LinkedIn, this app will let you get the highlights from all of your preferred news organizations. Instead of downloading dozens of news apps, you can skim the news with ease thanks to Pulse. It integrates into your LI account, lets you customize the feed, and the tiles design is similar to Windows 8.
#10. Election Watch Reporter. With so much power at stake in an election, is it any surprise that there would be several groups out there on all sides trying to rig the results? This app will let you become the eyes and ears of election watchers because it allows you to report law/code violations when you see them. You can even take mobile pictures of the violation and submit them through the app.
No matter what side of the political spectrum you place yourself, these apps will help you contribute your opinion to the political discussion. Do you have a favorite political app that you use that didn’t make this list? Share your favorites below.
