Political commentary comprises all public statements that politicians make as well as the opinionated writings of leading political authors. Whether liberal, conservative or a mix of the two, political commentary remains an essential privilege that is only available in countries encouraging the free exchange of ideas. Lucky for Americans, the United States is one of those countries.

Legislators and politicians admit that political commentary can influence their stance on the issues. If those issues affect your cost of doing business or providing services to your customers, your company should tap in to this influential body of literature to find out how the political atmosphere in your area might change. Look for political commentary in magazines on politics or in online political articles and political newspapers and take note of some of its special features:

1. Access political commentary on a comprehensive website that presents both sides of an issue.

2. Explore conservative political commentary by syndicated columnists, radio personalities and grass roots activists.

3. Learn how influential authors shape liberal political commentary.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find comprehensive collections of timely bi-partisan political commentary

Staying on top of such a vast subject like political commentary can be overwhelming. It helps to find one source that provides ready access to differing viewpoints on the latest political issues.

I recommend: Politics-Line maintains a website of diverse political opinions from leading columnists in America and updates on that website daily. The website even divides the columnists between those writing "from the left" and those writing "from the right.” Since 2000, RealClearPolitics has provided indispensable political commentary on important daily issues. The site gathers political commentary from leading publications. Editors of major newspapers and political magazines as well as political commentators on major news stations say they cannot imagine doing their job without checking RealClearPolitics.com every day. The issues on this website are in alphabetical order for easy reference.

Find out who is shaping conservative political commentary

Conservative political commentary emphasizes that individuals shape their own destiny and can do a better job of it without much interference by an overbearing government. It stresses low taxes, free markets and a commitment to maintaining the principles of the Founding Fathers.

I recommend: Townhall.com, since 1995, has encouraged conservatives to get involved in the political process. The website features news and political commentary on current issues written by columnists, bloggers and well-known conservative personalities. Human Events presents conservative news on social and domestic issues in a newspaper that former President Ronald Reagan called his "favorite."

Learn how liberal political commentary responds to current issues in the political spotlight

Liberal political commentary, unlike its conservative counterpart, encourages individuals to rely on more help from the government to assist them in life. Liberals suggest higher taxes to fund government programs that help citizens secure jobs, housing and even food and health insurance.

I recommend: Bear Left! has offered left-leaning political commentary on its website since 2001. Contact this group to receive email updates that include political humor and political cartoons. Bear Left! can direct you to the most timely political commentary from liberals that write for respected publications like "The Nation" and "The Washington Post." Daily Kos, since 2002, presents left-leaning blogs from newspapers and political magazines shaping liberal commentary today.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Companies can take part in the political process by using political commentary and encouraging their employees to vote as well as become informed of issues affecting the company's business mission.