With election season already here, it is very stressful to be an American at this time. With our country polarized over who will be the next president, you may just want to escape the news outlets and have a distraction from real-life politics for a bit. That being said, here are my picks for the best political (and completely fictional) TV shows to watch on Netflix in the spirit of election season! All show descriptions are from www.google.com.

5. Madam Secretary

Having left her job as a CIA analyst for ethical reasons, newly appointed Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord returns to public life at the request of the president, after the suspicious death of her predecessor. Valued by her boss for her apolitical leanings, knowledge of the Middle East, language skills and creative thinking, Elizabeth drives international diplomacy, battles office politics and circumvents protocol, while negotiating national and international issues. At home, politics and compromise take on new meaning with her supportive husband and three bright kids.

4. House of Cards

U.S. Rep. Francis Underwood of South Carolina starts out as a ruthless politician seeking revenge in this Netflix original production. Promised the post of Secretary of State in exchange for his support, his efforts help to ensure the election of Garrett Walker to the presidency. But Walker changes his mind before the inauguration, telling Underwood he’s too valuable in Congress. Outwardly, Underwood accepts his marching orders, but secretly he and his wife Claire, an environmental activist, make a pact to destroy Walker and his allies. As the series progresses, Underwood ascends through the ranks of the government — until his death, at which point Claire gains power. Based on the U.K. miniseries of the same name, the U.S. version offers a look behind the scenes at the greed and corruption in American politics. A number of real-life media figures make cameo appearances.

3. The Politician

Wealthy high school student Payton Hobart has known since he was 7 years old that he is going to be the president of the United States. The first step toward that goal is to become his school’s student body president. To do that, he will have to navigate the treacherous political landscape of Saint Sebastian High School. Hobart feels he needs to win the election to secure his spot at Harvard and continue on his projected path to success. To achieve his goals, he’ll have to outsmart his ruthless classmates without sacrificing his own morality and — most importantly — carefully crafted public image.

2. Designated Survivor

As a lower-level cabinet member, Tom Kirkman never imagined something would happen that would catapult him to the oval office. When a devastating attack on the night of the State of the Union address claims the lives of the president and most of the Cabinet, the Housing and Urban Development secretary — who was named the designated survivor in case of such an event — finds himself promoted to leader of the free world. Suddenly thrust into his new position of power, Kirkman struggles to keep the country from dissolving into chaos and must adjust to his new normal, unaware of what fresh horrors may await the United States.

1. The West Wing

Cutthroat presidential advisers get their personal lives hopelessly tangled up with professional duties as they try to conduct the business of running a country. Fictional Democratic President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet suffers no fools, and that policy alienates many. He and his dedicated staffers struggle to balance the needs of the country with the political realities of Washington, D.C., working through two presidential terms that include countless scandals, threats and political scuffles, as well as the race to succeed Bartlet as the leader of the free world.