Website Review: PoliticalBase.com
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this community site for political
news and debate has moderated user-created content. There's no
advertising on the site, which makes it an objective,
nonpartisan political destination and discussion forums seem to
attract those genuinely interest in politics. Users need to be
13 or older to register, create a blog, and participate in the
site's safe social networking functions. There are links to
other sites such as
YouTube.com
and CNN.com which may have some iffy content.
Families can talk about the candidates for upcoming elections and their stance on key issues like healthcare, immigration, and the environment. Which candidate best reflects your views on certain topics? What qualities make a good leader? What kind of leader does the country need right now?
Common Sense Media Review
POLITICALBASE.COM has an impressive amount of information,
including breaking news updates, blogs, and everything you need
to know about election candidates -- their platforms, poll
performance, funds, and supporters. It's a place for teens to
find the information they need to make informed political
decisions, regardless of their leanings. And for those who
don't know what their leanings are, there are quizzes on Iraq,
healthcare, education, and security to help them figure it. A
lot of the content comes from news sources and publicly
available data, but there's also a considerable amount of
user-contributed content. If you're over 13, you can register
and create your own page, where others can access your blog,
the posts you've submitted, the stuff you've edited, and see
who your Political Base "friends" are. Quality submissions earn
you "points" and the more you have, the higher your "rank" in
the community.
PoliticalBase.com is a great resource for teens already into politics, but it's also got appeal for those that are less so. The information is easily digestible, the debate lively, and it's a wonderful place to get objective side-by-side comparisons on the candidates, what they stand for, and who supports and funds them.
Other political sites include Ben's Guide to Government for Kids, RocktheVote.org, and YouthNoise.com.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
