Reddit reviews Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy

I have an idea for you, which is what I did a few years ago: read a book written by a conservative politician expressing their views, and read a similar book by a liberal politician explaining their views, in either order. After reading both, you can then start to think about which issues you agree with Republicans on, and which you agree with Democrats on.

For example, I read this book, where Newt Gingrich explains Republican points of view pretty well, and this book, where Bill Clinton explains Democratic points of view pretty well. (Looking back, Back to Work maybe wasn't the best equivalent to Gingrich's book, since Clinton throws more numbers and statistics at you than actual explanations for why he thinks what he thinks. I was already pretty conservative by the time I read either, though.) Whether or not the other folks in /r/Republican think those books are actually the best to read for my suggestion, I don't know, but if you all disagree I'd love to hear some more suggestions for political reads.

Also, what /u/Wannabe2good said is also right, you don't just go out and "be" a Republican, you vote for Republicans, or Democrats, because you agree with their views on issues, which means you should know the ideas behind both sides of an issue before forming your own educated opinion. Unfortunately, many Americans don't do this, and will blindly vote for some politician just because they have an "R" or a "D" next to their name. Don't be like those people. Think about who you vote for based on your own values and opinions.