Basic Political Terms, Links, and Resourses

Learning how the political system works is your best chance at having convincing arguments.  

Nobody can be omnipotent, but like Raiden said in the opening sequence of Mortal Kombat 3: "There is no knowledge that is not power" (actually Ralph Waldo Emerson said it first, but hey,  Ralph couldn't hurl lighting and teleport).

Here are some political structures and concepts you should familiarize yourself with to hold stronger arguments.  

What is the difference between "the house," "congress," and "the senate?" (Link) Confusing the difference is similar to confusing whether it's "Britain," "England," or "The U.K," which is equally important to know for geopolitical reasons (link).  

A general overview of U.S political structures:

Legislative branch 

• Makes laws
• Congress is the legislative branch, which is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives

Executive branch 

• Enforces laws
• The president is the head of the executive branch
• The president's advisors include the vice president and members of the Cabinet

Judicial branch 

• Interprets laws

Checks and balances:

The U.S. Constitution establishes this separation of powers to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. Each branch has its own powers and responsibilities, and they work together. For example, Congress passes laws, the president signs them, and the courts decide if they violate the Constitution

The three branches of government make, execute, and interpret the laws that govern the United States

Below are more important learning links.  I've compiled a few that I believe are critical to know.  This list will continue to evolve as time goes on. 

• Supreme Court (how it works)
• N.A.T.O (History) (additional reading)
• The Constitution of the United States of America (link)
• The Legislative Process (Link)
• List of federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, and more (Link)
• A-to-Z index of all U.S. government agencies and sub-agencies (Link)
• How the EU Governs (Link)
• How the Chinese Government Works (Link)
• How the Russian Government Works (Link)
• List of Republican Senators (Link)
• Democrat Leadership (Link)
• Statutes and Public Laws (Link)
• Bureau of Labor and Statistics (Data Released first Friday of every month).

Specific Accounts and People worth following:

Meidas Touch Network: (Youtube), (Bluesky) (Podcast-Spotify), (Podcast-Apple)

Adam Mockler: (Youtube), (Bluesky) 

Adam Kizinger: (Substack), (Bluesky)

AOC: (Bluesky) (Profile)

Jasmine Crocket: (Bluesky) (Profile) 

Bernie Sanders: (Bluesky) (Profile) (Official Website) 

Jamie Raskin: (Bluesky), (Profile)

Common Dreams: (Link)

Action: (Rallies) (Livemap)

Other

• Ukraine War (Link)

Feel free to leave a comment with any links or information you would like me to add, 

or email me at andydomonkos@gmail.com