The Basics of Government

Hey, all... I don't really frequent this forum much, mostly because the topics tend to go over my head. It seems that every time I try to learn something about politics, it goes straight over my head, or else I forget what I've learned within a week's time.

So I was wondering if I could have some help. What are some good sources that would explain to me the basics of (US) government--the 3 branches, the positions within them and what they're responsible for, who are currently in those positions, etc.?

Also, I would love some help on some of the "big names" in politics... Like Rumsfield... I know he is (was?) important, but I don't understand what he did.

At any rate, I really would love to learn a bit more about our political system (and world politics, as well), so that I can feel informed enough to vote--I didn't vote in the last election, and I am regretting it.

If this is an inappropriate thread topic, I apologize. Hopefully I'll get some good resources--though explaining things to me yourself would be even better, since most of the sources I've checked out use a lot of political jargon, which doesn't help me out any.

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Thank you all very much for your suggestions of resources and the like. I shall commence to explore.

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So... Anyone want to try to explain to me in VERY SIMPLE TERMS what's going on with Israel? I hear about the Middle East so much, but whenever I ask someone, all I get is a, "Well, it's hard to explain..."

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Arabs from...?

And what's that whole thing about Lebanon wanting to be recognized or something?

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Yeah, I totally meant Palestine (whoops). So are Israel and Palestine fighting like whoa?

Basically my friends tell me just to assume that everyone in the middle east is fighting with everyone...

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Soluzar

You shouldn't think of it as two armies marching to war. It's not that simple at all. It's something that I think I'm not qualified to really discuss. I can't really claim to understand it entirely myself, so I won't presume to try and explain it any further.

That is totally what everyone tells me. NO ONE REALLY KNOWS! Sounds like a giant conspiracy to me. A giant, Middle Eastern conspiracy.

Thanks for your thoughts, though. I can totally follow what you're saying. I'm just one of those annoying people who has to understand all the little details before being able to grasp the big picture, and that doesn't tend to work very well with politics...

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Ooh, that helped ramoth.

So 3 basic areas of conflict:
Arab/Jewish (is that more religion-based, territory-based, or race-based?)
Muslim Arabs: Sunnis vs. Shiites (I've heard a little bit about this... Isn't one of those factions particularly radical?)
Kurds vs. Arabs (race conflict)

So "Arabs." At the risk of sounding very ignorant... Is this a really broad term of what? To whom does it refer, exactly?

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Thank you so much! That helps a lot.

Though of course, I always struggle with the difference between race and ethnicity and all that.

And I get confused about such things as, are white and Caucasian the same? Are Asians white? But they aren't Caucasian, clearly. So there must be a distinction... Etc.

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