Life is political. Hollywood is political. And yesterday in the U.S., the state elections were very political in the broad sense of the term, since many pundits kept arguing that they served as a referendum on President Obama and his policies.

We make no such claims. We're not here to talk U.S. politics specifically, but with all this political fever in play, what better time than to reflect back on what we believe are the ten best movies about American  politics?

There are some terrific contenders here; not surprisingly some from decades gone by. But in most, the themes of power and corruption going hand-in-hand is front and center. It's material that's inherently rife with conflict, making for some of the best drama to be found anywhere.

So have a look at the following pages and our selections for the best movies about American politics. And when you're finished, feel free to cast your vote in our comments section below, rating any of the films on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best.

Ready? Here we go...

The Candidate (1972)
Michael Ritchie's film about a true-blue left-winger is one of the best American satires of all time. Robert Redford is Bill McKay, a young man convinced to run for office who learns what it means to become cynical along the way.

The film's portrayal of what's involved in running a political campaign is often caustic, but never dull.

"McKay the Better Way." Sounds almost as good as "Change We Can Believe In," right?

OK, maybe nothing is as deliciously messianic as that.