Political commentary is a form of social criticism in which people communicate on issues that affect them. This can occur through art, literature, public speaking, and other mediums like music, television, and film. Some examples include visual art that reflects political issues, photography documenting humanitarian crises, literary and film works that criticize injustices, rap music highlighting racial disparities, and television and radio phone-in shows that allow for open discussions on politics and social issues.
Political commentaries often feature a critique of current government and its policies, or of political leaders and ideologies. They may also address broader issues that impact society, such as economics, ethics, and social meaning. There are two main philosophical approaches to political analysis, empiricism/positivism and constructivism/interpretivism. The former views the process of political communication as a scientific endeavor that seeks to establish laws and regularities in relationships; the latter views the process as a way of exploring, and possibly transforming, political conditions.
In a nutshell, political commentary is the discussion of political issues and problems with the intention of informing others and changing society for the better. Every person who follows politics, discusses political issues, votes, runs for office, or joins a political party is a political commentator.
Literary and media forms of political commentary include satire, propaganda, and dystopias. Satire is a genre of art that employs humor, irony, and exaggeration to criticize or mock political figures or societal norms. It can be subtle and oblique as in the letters section of newspapers or more bold, abrasive, and consistent in its point as seen in comic strips such as Li’l Abner, Pogo, Bloom County, and Doonesbury.