There are several key differences between American and German politics. For example, the head of government, the Chancellor, is elected by the lower house of Parliament, the Bundestag. Our President is elected via the Electoral College. The Chancellor may face a vote of confidence. If they fail the vote, then Parliament must elect a new leader. But there is one thing about German politics that differs from American politics and it is for this reason that I feel that Germany has a better-run political system:
The Grand Coaltion.
Every Chancellor must ensure that they have over fifty percent of the Bundestag. If the majority party in Parliament does not garner over fifty percent of the vote, then they must team up with a smaller party to get over that barrier. I like this for two reasons. First, this really helps out the smaller parties. When these parties are given a say in how things are run and they have less than 10% of the Bundestag representation, it is a very big deal. Secondly, this really helps speed up the government, making it more efficient.
We discussed in class how the Germans get over 80% of legislation passed through their government, meanwhile, "we suck" - Casey Burns. I also think that there is better representation of the people in Germany. There are no 'wasted' votes (just wasted people). The percent of votes that a party receives is proportional to the number of seats they get in Parliament. This means that voting for a smaller party is no longer throwing away your vote like in the U.S.
Don't get me wrong, I think our system is pretty good. I mean, if we were not efficient in what we do, would we have been the world's leading super-power for this long? I just think the Germans are more efficient than we are. I also like that the Germans have made sure that there are several checks and balances on power so as to prevent one person from gaining too much power, as Hitler did in the 1930s. It would have been interesting if we could have installed the constructive vote of confidence in our system a couple years ago to see George W. sweat it out for a while before he got the boot.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Blog #4 Favorite Part of Berlin / Language Barrier
Well, we're back already. Not too excited about that part. Don't get me wrong, it's been great seeing family and catching up with friends, but being abroad was such a great experience and it went by way too quickly. Already I've been repeating the same stories over and over as everybody keeps asking about my favorite sites and favorite countries, etc.
My favorite part would have to be the Holocaust Memorial. It was tough deciding from all the different things- swimming at the Wannsee beach, the bike tour throughout Potsdam, the Olympic Stadium, laying out in the park during the Obama speech, my birthday, it was all just very exciting. I guess the reason I chose the Holocaust Memorial was because of all the different Holocaust sites we visited, to me it was the most impactful and meaningful.
I think the reason that the Sachsenhausen concentration camp was not as impactful for several of us was the weather. When I went to see the Buchenwald concentration camp a few years ago, it was drizzling out, the weather was gray and gloomy, and it was just a depressing scene. Yet the weather at Sachsenhausen could not have been more different. It was the warmest, brightest day of summer and all many of us could think of following our tour of the camp was to find some shade under a tree. It was just too nice out to get overwhelmed by what we were seeing.
The reason I liked the Holocaust Memorial was because it really made me sit down and think about the feelings these people had for their friends and families- feelings they knew would not be felt in return. As discussed in class, the room with the lit-up boxes on the floor that showed some journal entries and letters to friends and family was a very deep and depressing room. Moving from the brightness that the sun pushed through the windows in the previous room to the darkness of this room really added to the effect of the room. It was also interesting to see during class later that day that many other people felt that this memorial was perhaps the most meaningful and impressionable site we had visited.
As for the language barrier, I guess I had less problems than most of the others may have encountered because I had taken German classes in high school and a couple at UW-O. So instead of focusing on problems encountered, I'll talk about the highlights of my weak attempts of speaking German. My first attempt at getting some Spaghetti Eis (ice cream that looks like spaghetti) failed miserably at the Ostbahnhof as the younger lady told me in German that they were all out. Rather disappointed I asked for a kugel (scoop) of chocolate ice cream instead. I think she could tell I was rather saddened (who wouldn't be?!) so she gave me a couple scoops and only charged me 50 cents (thought that may have been more because I am ridiculously good looking, something I am sure Tracy experienced several times). While on the S-Bahn during the scavenger hunt, I was looking at a map of the trains to make sure we were going the right way. A guy asked me if I needed help (in German) to which I replied that it was alright, we knew where we were going. He was a little persistent and once I got lost in our conversation, and he determined that I spoke English, he determined I was no longer worth his time and he muttered something to the German next to him- an example of just how often things don't turn out as well as one could hope for.
The best conversation I had in German took place not in Berlin but in the air on our way to London on our connecting flight home. The man sitting next to me did not speak the best English, so when there was an announcement from the pilot saying there was a lot of traffic on the runway and we would be delayed slightly, I began talking to the man in German because he did not understand. We ended up talking a lot in the last half hour of our trip to London. I learned that this man was originally born in Sierra Lione and had studied abroad in Berlin when he was in college. He returned home only to come back pretty quickly to Berlin, where he has been living in ever since. He was taking his four year old son to visit the states, specifally Virginia. Upon our landing in London, we said our goodbyes and that was the last real conversation I had with a European. Now we are back in good ol' Wisconsin... at last I finally have my Brewers.
My favorite part would have to be the Holocaust Memorial. It was tough deciding from all the different things- swimming at the Wannsee beach, the bike tour throughout Potsdam, the Olympic Stadium, laying out in the park during the Obama speech, my birthday, it was all just very exciting. I guess the reason I chose the Holocaust Memorial was because of all the different Holocaust sites we visited, to me it was the most impactful and meaningful.
I think the reason that the Sachsenhausen concentration camp was not as impactful for several of us was the weather. When I went to see the Buchenwald concentration camp a few years ago, it was drizzling out, the weather was gray and gloomy, and it was just a depressing scene. Yet the weather at Sachsenhausen could not have been more different. It was the warmest, brightest day of summer and all many of us could think of following our tour of the camp was to find some shade under a tree. It was just too nice out to get overwhelmed by what we were seeing.
The reason I liked the Holocaust Memorial was because it really made me sit down and think about the feelings these people had for their friends and families- feelings they knew would not be felt in return. As discussed in class, the room with the lit-up boxes on the floor that showed some journal entries and letters to friends and family was a very deep and depressing room. Moving from the brightness that the sun pushed through the windows in the previous room to the darkness of this room really added to the effect of the room. It was also interesting to see during class later that day that many other people felt that this memorial was perhaps the most meaningful and impressionable site we had visited.
As for the language barrier, I guess I had less problems than most of the others may have encountered because I had taken German classes in high school and a couple at UW-O. So instead of focusing on problems encountered, I'll talk about the highlights of my weak attempts of speaking German. My first attempt at getting some Spaghetti Eis (ice cream that looks like spaghetti) failed miserably at the Ostbahnhof as the younger lady told me in German that they were all out. Rather disappointed I asked for a kugel (scoop) of chocolate ice cream instead. I think she could tell I was rather saddened (who wouldn't be?!) so she gave me a couple scoops and only charged me 50 cents (thought that may have been more because I am ridiculously good looking, something I am sure Tracy experienced several times). While on the S-Bahn during the scavenger hunt, I was looking at a map of the trains to make sure we were going the right way. A guy asked me if I needed help (in German) to which I replied that it was alright, we knew where we were going. He was a little persistent and once I got lost in our conversation, and he determined that I spoke English, he determined I was no longer worth his time and he muttered something to the German next to him- an example of just how often things don't turn out as well as one could hope for.
The best conversation I had in German took place not in Berlin but in the air on our way to London on our connecting flight home. The man sitting next to me did not speak the best English, so when there was an announcement from the pilot saying there was a lot of traffic on the runway and we would be delayed slightly, I began talking to the man in German because he did not understand. We ended up talking a lot in the last half hour of our trip to London. I learned that this man was originally born in Sierra Lione and had studied abroad in Berlin when he was in college. He returned home only to come back pretty quickly to Berlin, where he has been living in ever since. He was taking his four year old son to visit the states, specifally Virginia. Upon our landing in London, we said our goodbyes and that was the last real conversation I had with a European. Now we are back in good ol' Wisconsin... at last I finally have my Brewers.
Blog #3 Chancellor vs. US President
The Chancellor of Germany, like the President of the United States of America, is the head of the goernment and is one of the highest attainable positions of power in the country. The current Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, holds several alike powers to the U.S. President, yet they also have several differences in power.
For example, both the Chancellor and President are the Head of Government. They also appoint and dismiss their Cabinet members (however, the Chancellor does not need consent of Parliament to do either). Both are heads of the Executive Branch of their respective governments. They both must also face elections every four years.
However, there are many differences between the two positions. As previously mentioned, the Chancellor is the head of government, but they are not the head of state, which the U.S. President is. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is that the President is elected via the Electoral College- that is, they recieve votes based upon garnering the most votes in a state and by collecting the most electoral votes. The Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag- or the lower house of the German Parliament. In order to ensure a majority support, often the largest party will need to team up with a smaller party to ensure they have a majority of the representitives within the government.
For example, the CDU-CSU party might align itself with the Green Party to get over the 50 percent barrier. In rare instances, such as the current government, the largest party, the CDU-CSU, must ally with the other large party, SPD, to form a 'Grand Coalition.' The first time the two large parties tried this, it failed rather quickly. There was therefor plenty of pessimistic attitudes when Angela Merkel took over. Yet three years later, here the Germans are, surprising even themselves the successes Merkel has attained. Also, the Chancellor, like the Prime Minister of England, may face a "vote of confidence" that they must pass. Failure to attain a vote of confidence from Parliament will result in the resignation of the Chancellor to bring in somebody new. Unfortunately, the U.S. President does not face a vote of condifence. Had they, one might be led to believe George W. would have been long gone. Both positions are of extreme importance, but following the events of the first half of the 20th century, the Germans have made sure to "water down" the Chancellorship in order to prevent too much power from falling into just one person's hands.
For example, both the Chancellor and President are the Head of Government. They also appoint and dismiss their Cabinet members (however, the Chancellor does not need consent of Parliament to do either). Both are heads of the Executive Branch of their respective governments. They both must also face elections every four years.
However, there are many differences between the two positions. As previously mentioned, the Chancellor is the head of government, but they are not the head of state, which the U.S. President is. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is that the President is elected via the Electoral College- that is, they recieve votes based upon garnering the most votes in a state and by collecting the most electoral votes. The Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag- or the lower house of the German Parliament. In order to ensure a majority support, often the largest party will need to team up with a smaller party to ensure they have a majority of the representitives within the government.
For example, the CDU-CSU party might align itself with the Green Party to get over the 50 percent barrier. In rare instances, such as the current government, the largest party, the CDU-CSU, must ally with the other large party, SPD, to form a 'Grand Coalition.' The first time the two large parties tried this, it failed rather quickly. There was therefor plenty of pessimistic attitudes when Angela Merkel took over. Yet three years later, here the Germans are, surprising even themselves the successes Merkel has attained. Also, the Chancellor, like the Prime Minister of England, may face a "vote of confidence" that they must pass. Failure to attain a vote of confidence from Parliament will result in the resignation of the Chancellor to bring in somebody new. Unfortunately, the U.S. President does not face a vote of condifence. Had they, one might be led to believe George W. would have been long gone. Both positions are of extreme importance, but following the events of the first half of the 20th century, the Germans have made sure to "water down" the Chancellorship in order to prevent too much power from falling into just one person's hands.
Blog #2 Alone in Berlin
I have spent several hours alone spaced out over the last two weeks in Berlin (this was written over a week ago now, fyi), wandering around the city, exploring parks, and "being a tourist," going through countless numbers of shops and malls, ranging from clothing and shoe stores to sports stores, meanwhile avoiding all the sex shops that seem to be around every corner.
Yesterday, I went to the Tiergarten Park, just a short ways away and where Barack Obama gave his speech on Thursday (the 24th), this time with just a few less people... by a few less, I mean there was a considerable amount less as there were an estimated 200,000 people who showed up for Obama's rally. The park is simply too large and beautiful to put into words. And the weather couldn't have been better.
During the first week in Berlin, it was never exactly hot out- on the contrary, we were often hit with unexpected rain. There were a few times where we would enter an underground subway with it sunny out only to come out a couple minutes later to a downpour just a few stops down. Yet the weather the last few days has been amazing. A bunch of us even went down to the Wannsee yesterday (Sunday) to go swimming and lay out on the beach. The bright, sunny days have made it ideal for just going out and enjoying the remaining few days left in Europe.
Walking alone in Berlin has been an interesting experience. Germans (and perhaps lots of tourists) are more welcome, talkative, and quizative than the people were in London. What seems like a dozen or two people have asked me for directions- little did most of them know I was usually just as lost as they were and was therefor unable to help them very much. Last weekend, while most of the group was off visiting other parts of Europe, I spent a lot of time just wandering around the city. Though intriguing, I did not find much worth writing about for my "Alone in Berlin."
Instead, I visited the Olympicstadion- or the Olympic Stadium. This was the second time I have gotten off at the Olympic Stadium exit this trip and found it just as deserted as last time, a feeling of being in the middle of nowhere once again fell over me. However, after a short walk over to the stadium, that feeling soon left me. After purchasing a ticket to enter the stadium, I was free to walk around the grounds and immerse myself in the history that took place here 76 years ago. The stadium itself on the inside is very unique considering how old it is. The blue track running around the bright green grass that is home to the Hertha Berlin soccer club gives the stadium a real modern feel to it.
I was glad I decided to come out to the stadium, as it gave me time to reflect on the last few weeks and how quickly it seemed to have gone; yet there has been so much that we have done that it feels like we have been over here for ages. As the sounds of peole swimming in the pool outside resonated in the background, I was able to stroll around the stadium at my own leisurly pace and take it all in. After doing a little shopping in the stadium shop, I was off to return to Heinrich-Heine Strasse. It was nice just to be out on my own to collect my thoughts and prepare myself for the last week of class in Berlin before we have to return home.
Yesterday, I went to the Tiergarten Park, just a short ways away and where Barack Obama gave his speech on Thursday (the 24th), this time with just a few less people... by a few less, I mean there was a considerable amount less as there were an estimated 200,000 people who showed up for Obama's rally. The park is simply too large and beautiful to put into words. And the weather couldn't have been better.
During the first week in Berlin, it was never exactly hot out- on the contrary, we were often hit with unexpected rain. There were a few times where we would enter an underground subway with it sunny out only to come out a couple minutes later to a downpour just a few stops down. Yet the weather the last few days has been amazing. A bunch of us even went down to the Wannsee yesterday (Sunday) to go swimming and lay out on the beach. The bright, sunny days have made it ideal for just going out and enjoying the remaining few days left in Europe.
Walking alone in Berlin has been an interesting experience. Germans (and perhaps lots of tourists) are more welcome, talkative, and quizative than the people were in London. What seems like a dozen or two people have asked me for directions- little did most of them know I was usually just as lost as they were and was therefor unable to help them very much. Last weekend, while most of the group was off visiting other parts of Europe, I spent a lot of time just wandering around the city. Though intriguing, I did not find much worth writing about for my "Alone in Berlin."
Instead, I visited the Olympicstadion- or the Olympic Stadium. This was the second time I have gotten off at the Olympic Stadium exit this trip and found it just as deserted as last time, a feeling of being in the middle of nowhere once again fell over me. However, after a short walk over to the stadium, that feeling soon left me. After purchasing a ticket to enter the stadium, I was free to walk around the grounds and immerse myself in the history that took place here 76 years ago. The stadium itself on the inside is very unique considering how old it is. The blue track running around the bright green grass that is home to the Hertha Berlin soccer club gives the stadium a real modern feel to it.
I was glad I decided to come out to the stadium, as it gave me time to reflect on the last few weeks and how quickly it seemed to have gone; yet there has been so much that we have done that it feels like we have been over here for ages. As the sounds of peole swimming in the pool outside resonated in the background, I was able to stroll around the stadium at my own leisurly pace and take it all in. After doing a little shopping in the stadium shop, I was off to return to Heinrich-Heine Strasse. It was nice just to be out on my own to collect my thoughts and prepare myself for the last week of class in Berlin before we have to return home.
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