Introduction
The subreddit /r/Politics serves as a major platform for discussion about current and explicit political news in the United States. Given the nature of political discourse, which often involves highly charged opinions and sensitive subjects, it is essential for the community to maintain a well-structured environment that encourages respectful and constructive conversations. To achieve this, the moderators of /r/Politics have established a comprehensive set of rules and guidelines designed to ensure the community remains a productive and safe space for political discussion. This essay will explain these rules in detail, providing insights into their purpose and the standards expected from users.
General Rules and Reddit-wide Etiquette
The foundation of /r/Politics rules is based on site-wide Reddit rules and “reddiquette.” Users are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Reddit’s broader policies on behavior and content. The subreddit enforces all these rules strictly to prevent disruptions and to maintain a positive atmosphere.
One of the primary concerns is hate speech. Any content that promotes violence, discrimination, or hatred against marginalized groups—such as those based on race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation—is strictly prohibited. The subreddit bans individuals who incite such hate. This rule also protects vulnerable groups including victims of violent events and their families, ensuring that discussions remain respectful.
Additionally, the subreddit bans comments or posts that suggest, support, or celebrate harm or violence. This includes extreme indifference toward harm, calls for violence, and even misinformation that could lead to public health risks, such as discouraging COVID-19 vaccinations or mask-wearing.
Spam and self-promotion without permission are also banned. The subreddit prioritizes content quality over quantity and discourages repetitive posting or flooding the submission queue.
Voting and Bots
Users are encouraged to vote based on content quality, not opinion. Since politics invites diverse viewpoints, downvotes should be reserved for off-topic or low-effort posts rather than disagreement with a political stance.
Bots without prior moderator approval are banned to ensure discussions remain human-centered and meaningful. Bot use requires permission and must contribute positively to the community.
User Flair and Identity Verification
Moderators verify the identities of politicians and public figures who request flairs on the subreddit, enhancing transparency and credibility. Verified users receive flair indicating their position or affiliation. Regular users can also select personal flair but have limited options, with broader categories available if they don’t find a suitable specific flair.
Comment Rules: Civility and Conduct
/r/Politics expects all comments to be civil and constructive. Political discourse can be contentious, but personal attacks, trolling, baiting, or flaming are not tolerated.
-
No personal attacks: Insults, name-calling, or inflammatory comments directed at other users are prohibited, regardless of how cleverly phrased they may be.
-
No trolling or baiting: Comments that intentionally provoke anger, sow discord, or seek to manipulate others into violating rules will be removed. This includes concern trolling, “gimmick” accounts, or attempts to bypass posting rules.
-
No spam or solicitation: Comments soliciting money, signatures, or other actions are banned, except for calls to vote or register to vote.
-
No witch hunting or doxxing: Sharing personal information or directing harassment towards users is strictly forbidden.
Violations of these comment rules result in removal of comments and possibly warnings or bans.
Submission Rules: What You Can and Cannot Post
Posts in /r/Politics must adhere to strict topicality and formatting guidelines:
-
Content must deal explicitly with U.S. politics. The subreddit focuses on policy, elections, political figures’ capacity to serve, advocacy efforts, and relevant new reporting with clear connections to U.S. politics.
-
Not topical: Posts about international politics without U.S. implications, non-political actions of politicians, media critiques, or unrelated crime stories are off-topic.
-
Recent content only: Articles must be published within the last 7 days to keep discussions current and relevant.
-
Approved domains only: Submissions must come from a list of approved news and media domains. Users with new accounts are limited further to wire services for submissions.
-
No user-created titles: Titles must exactly match the article headline without added commentary, extraneous quotes, or editorializing.
-
No spam or flooding: Users must wait 10 minutes between posts and limit themselves to five submissions per 24 hours to prevent flooding.
-
English only: All submissions must be in English.
-
No reposting abuse: Duplicate content can only be resubmitted under strict conditions (e.g., after three days and low prior votes).
Disallowed Content Types
To maintain a serious political discussion environment, /r/Politics prohibits:
-
Satire or humor pieces (these belong in /r/PoliticalHumor).
-
User-generated content without editorial oversight (e.g., self-posts without professional reporting).
-
Political advertisements.
-
Paywalled articles that cannot be accessed by the public.
-
Submissions that are merely copy-paste of original reporting without substantial added context.
-
Live blogs or live event threads.
-
Employment disclosure posts without proper affiliation tags.
Employees of organizations linked to submissions must disclose their affiliation or risk bans.
AMA (Ask Me Anything) Rules
AMA threads have additional rules to ensure respectful and smooth interaction with guests:
-
Top-level comments must be questions or supportive statements.
-
Civility is mandatory.
-
Meta-discussion about Reddit or moderation is prohibited.
-
Personal favors or repeated comments are not allowed.
Moderation and Enforcement
Moderators enforce these rules consistently and fairly, often exercising discretion for edge cases but with a strong emphasis on topicality and civility. They also rely heavily on community reporting to catch violations due to the large volume of posts.
If a post is removed, users are encouraged to check the reason given by moderators. If unclear, users can message the mod team for clarification.
Why These Rules Matter
Political discussion is inherently complex, often involving deeply held beliefs and strong emotions. Without clear, firm guidelines, the subreddit could easily devolve into hostile, unproductive exchanges or become a platform for misinformation and hate.
The rules of /r/Politics help:
-
Maintain respectful discourse among users of all political persuasions.
-
Ensure topicality so discussions stay relevant and focused on U.S. politics.
-
Prevent abuse and harassment to protect vulnerable users.
-
Promote quality content and prevent spam or manipulation.
-
Enhance transparency via verified user flair.
Conclusion
The /r/Politics subreddit is a crucial space for engaging with U.S. political news and discussions. Its detailed rules serve to protect the community’s integrity, encourage constructive dialogue, and maintain a respectful environment for all participants. Understanding these rules is essential for anyone wishing to participate meaningfully in this space. Whether you are a casual reader, an active commenter, or a verified political figure, adhering to these guidelines ensures that /r/Politics remains a valuable resource for political discourse on Reddit.