Have you ever gotten into a political argument with your toilet paper? Or questioned the party affiliation of your organic yogurt? The bad news is you might be criminally deranged. The good news is, there's a new app that can help you.
BuyPartisan allows you to scan the barcode of your groceries and determine the company’s political spending based on campaign donations made by members of the board of directors, CEO, PAC’s, and employees. The information about the company's spending is rendered in an easy-to-read bar graph.
"In light of Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby … people have become much more attuned to a company's deeper impact," Matthew Colbert, former Capitol Hill staffer and BuyPartisan developer, told the Los Angeles Times.
With midterm elections on the horizon, here's a list of apps that'll help you become better informed citizens.
iCitizen
It's hard enough to stay informed about political issues, let alone participate in the political process. iCitizen lets you do both by following specific representatives and the issues that matter to you, and updating you with the latest news.
Are you passionate about gun control? Just program iCitizen accordingly and get the latest related news. The app also allows you to participate in polls that let representatives know exactly how you feel about the issues of the day (while you're sitting on the toilet).
Congress
Congress, a free app from the Sunlight Foundation, lets users keep tabs on their senators' and representatives' voting records and other legislative activities. It also allows users to search for lawmakers on social media and Facebook stalk them, or watch in dumbfounded disbelief as John Boeher plays with his wind-up monkey.
SuperPACApp
This is the Shazam of political bunkum. When the dreaded political ad comes on TV, users need only hold up their phones and SuperPACApp tells you who paid for it and how much money was spent. The app also assesses how accurate the ad is based on non-partisan news sources.
PolitiFact
Are you curious to know which politicians are flip-flopping, and which officeholders rank high on the Truth-o-Meter? Download PolitiFact, the mobile version of the Tampa Bay Times' fact-checking platform and you'll have access to a tally of how truthful politicians are based on their latest statements. There's also a new "Pants On Fire!" button for your user pleasure.
C-SPAN Radio App
Caution: this app is only intended for use by hardcore politophiles, or people who spend a lot of time in the bathroom. C-SPAN's mobile app allows users to watch unabridged "gavel-to-gavel proceedings" in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Don't miss a single dull minute of legislative wonderment.
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