Enormous effort is applied by less than 1% of the public. Usually they are political scientists, lobbyists, some reputable journalists or even political hacks working as opposition researchers, all paid for such effort.  They start by finding reputable sources that provide factual information untainted by interpretation.  This is almost always found at government sites or within the public records and reports often required by law, along with a few news or academic sites that capture facts not otherwise documented, such as public statements, endorsements, biographical details or the salacious peculiars that expand their audience.  These sources require hundreds of hours, which few citizens have.

Modest effort is applied by 10% of the public, using trusted sources that capture factual records and present that data in easy to digest concise reports related to each voter’s unique concerns.

Ignorance is the preference of almost 90% (221 million) of our potential voters. It takes no time other than that to be entertained by the enormous variety of popular political preachers telling citizens who’s at fault and who’s to blame for the trouble they see.

Richard Kimball