Politics, political parties, and other picture postcards

GamerDude's first memories of being interested in the government and politics date back to the 7th grade. He talks about how the basics of the US government - the three branches (legisltaive, executive and judicial) and their interlocking checks and balances - were the foundation of his "social studies" class in grade school. He talks about how his assignments included identifying his Congressional representatives, and understanding how the government worked, and explains how that led to his interest in politics and the political system.  He talks about the evolution of the Republican and Democratic parties, how and why their philosophies flip-flopped over time, and how that impacted his decision to register to vote. He compares how he believed things worked when he registered to vote with how he discovered them to truly be, and he talks about the necessity for having conscientious representatives in the government working with a government intended to support and protect its citizens. And he does it all in a way that - with luck - won't put you to sleep!