What Your Political Beliefs Say About You – Navigating America’s Highly Politicized Social Climate

From political fundraisers to small intimate dinners, persons aligned to certain political beliefs have always found ways to socialize with one another. At work, there may be that one person who is always bringing news stories and other social topics to the forefront with the expectation that some sort of friendly debate is going to ensue.

The Political Beliefs

The days of friendly political debates has been over in the U.S. for a long time. Even masters in political science online degree recipients have noticed an uptick in mud-slinging, hostile accusations, and character assassination by members of opposing political parties. Those who align with the Democratic party are labeled as ‘bleeding heart’ liberals while Republicans are thought to be opposed to diversity and personal freedom. Your political beliefs may indeed say a lot about you personally, but it is how you express them that really shows who you are.

The Rise of New Political Groups and Terminology

If someone refers to you as cisgendered, you’re likely talking to someone who is in support of radical feminism or the transgendered rights movement. Being called an Antifa agent or even a ‘Rethuglican’ has much more serious negative connotations, and these terms may be hurled at you for no other reason than you not subscribing to another’s opposing political beliefs. So, what makes someone a ‘social justice warrior,’ or a member of the far-right movement? Unless you label yourself as one of these things, it is likely that you have said something that has ruffled a different political party’s feathers. While conversations about politics used to take place just in the breakroom, social media makes it possible for everyone to have an international platform.

Are You Listening to the Other Side?

Whether you get your political news stories from CNN, FOX, or MSNBC, you probably are only getting one perspective on the news. U.S. citizens tend to be so married to their political beliefs that they tune out everything they don’t want to hear and fail to criticize politicians they support when they are caught doing something wrong. It makes not a bit of difference whether you’re a supporter of the Green party or believe that President Trump is a fine leader – when a different political party makes sense, it is in the best interest of the country that you listen to all the details with impartiality.

Getting Your News Online

There are countless political pundits with online political science master’s degrees who provide people with up to the minute news stories and opinions online. In all actuality, anyone with any type of opinion can make a blog that’s supported with carefully chosen news stories and half-truths. In short, rumors and falsehoods are still embedded deep in politics because few are actually checking the facts. Before you subscribe to something, you have to know what the truth is.

Being a Democrat or a Republican neither makes you a good or a bad person. How you choose to express your political beliefs both in private and in public likely says a lot more about you than you’ll ever know. Before donating to a political party, attending a rally, or repeating something that you read on the web, know what you’re getting yourself into.