when it comes to political and economic issues, i have absolutely no clue what people are talking about.

i'm a junior in high school and i really want to catch up with all of these current events. heck, i don't even know the 2012 presidential candidates. i feel like such an idiot when it comes to conversations like these and i just want to know what other people are talking about.

The thing is, i really have no idea where to start. I know more European History than American History for christ's sake.

I'm taking APUSH right now and i believe that understanding current political and economic issues would really benefit me in this class.

Can anyone give me some suggestions on how and where to start?