There are many individuals throughout our country that question the eligibility of certain presidential nominees, some more than others. By analyzing their campaigns even further, their legitimacy can diminish more and more, with the whole thing seeming more like House of Cards than a professional caucus.

This in itself is one of the major flaws of this election, as there does not seem to be much structure whatsoever on multiple occasions.

A major example would be the first presidential debate in itself (as well as the second). Anyone who watched it has Trump’s nonstop interruptions fresh in their mind, with Clinton also to blame for this infraction (but with significantly less occurrences). A big rule pointed out at the beginning of the debate was also that the audience was to remain quiet at all times, including refraining from laughing or clapping. This rule however, was quickly thrown to the wind not too long into the event.

To put things simply, comparing this debate to one done by high schoolers would be like comparing reality tv to a scientific documentary.

But by causing controversy through questionable statements and scandals, candidates manage to snake themselves free advertisement and publicity. Basically, any type of publicity is good publicity. Conflict and drama are way more likely to make headlines, because the media focuses highly on stories that they can appoint titles with heavy clickbait. For those unfamiliar with the term, clickbait is anything that stands out to readers and draws their attention and gets them to click onto links for further information. The increased web traffic that comes with clickbait brings more revenue for the organizations publishing them.

This only causes a continuous downward spiral in the political education of our nation, because they receive so much information on the people they will soon be deciding who to vote for, with the material on controversies typically fresher in their minds than where candidates may stand on vital topics.

Free publicity benefits nominees because it means that their outlandish news is prioritized over the coverage on candidates with fewer votes. People like Jill Stein and Gary Johnson are barely mentioned in media coverage, meaning that voters will be more familiarized with names like Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump when they go to vote.

The whole purpose of the campaign trail in itself is for candidates to get their names out there to ensure they are not complete strangers to the people determining who will fill the Oval Office.

Now, no one wants a president that is a terrible person. Honesty and trustworthiness are highly sought after characteristics for politicians in general. Dirt is still surfacing on the candidates, but as we get closer to the actual election, major news organizations are finally focusing more on delivering information on where Clinton and Trump stand on issues such as tax policies or abortion.

But for younger generations that are newer to voting, this does not seem to impact their minds as much.

As high schoolers, many people will parrot their parents’ perspective as they do not fully understand everything that is brought up in debates. Millennials and Gen Z prefer to get their news from websites, apps, and social media (according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center). This means that controversial coverage is at their fingertips, and their sources may lack reliability and political neutrality. This group also takes up more than half of voters, so their standings are vital once the booths open up.

Many of us will be able to vote by the 2020 election. Educating ourselves on politics before we are eighteen is vital if we want to be politically conscious. Politics themselves may seem highly complex or boring, but they should be understood by all citizens, as they are something that can and will impact our daily lives. This election in particular is anything but boring, so it is a good time to start sitting down and watching things such as the debates (even if you cannot make it all the way through).

Do not be afraid to get involved in politics, everything comes together quickly once you start to pick up what different things mean. Although this election is unconventional in many aspects, whoever wins the November election can and will impact your future as an American citizen.

Because it can be tedious to try and get all of your political ducks in a row, here is a list of a few websites that facilitate politics and figuring out where you stand:

• www.istandwith.com
• www.isidewith.com
• www.people-press.org/quiz/political-party-quiz/