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First off, the culture wars don't rage nearly as venomously in Germany as they do in the US, but that doesn't mean there's no political/ideological polarization. A hefty portion of the vote is determined by religion and class. If you're catholic you're way more likely to vote CDU, unless you're lower or lower-middle class and preferably a member of a labor union. If you're protestant or have no official religious affiliation (as many people in the east do) and/or are unionized, you're far more likely to vote SPD. This is why the SPD gained a huge structural advantage from the reunification (what with catholics becoming a minority nationwide), even as it has been steadily loosing union support, as the power of organized labor has been on the decline just as it has in the US.

Secondly, it's true though that Germany isn't nearly as polarized as the US. There are currently way more swing voters in Germany than in the US (especially when you take the 2004 elections as a standard). I would guestimate the percentage of swing voters in the current elections anywhere between 20% and 40%.

Final point, ideological diversity is hampered by the parliamentary system - especially the fact that parties mostly vote as blocs. So the views and votes of the individual representative matter far less than they do in the US. Which makes the system less democratic, in the sense that there's less room for individual views; but at the same time, it also makes German politics less personality-driven.

If you can't convince them, confuse them. (Harry S. Truman)

by brainwave on Sun Sep 18th, 2005 at 06:19:43 PM EST
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Final point, ideological diversity is hampered by the parliamentary system - especially the fact that parties mostly vote as blocs. So the views and votes of the individual representative matter far less than they do in the US. Which makes the system less democratic, in the sense that there's less room for individual views; but at the same time, it also makes German politics less personality-driven.

You really think that the individual views, that matter so much in the US system, and don't matter so much in the German system, really makes the German system less democratic? As the individual representative's views matter so much in the US system, that individual is also much more likely to be lobbied, pressured, bought, bribed and therefore less accountable and more of a lose canon than a MdB in Germany. The party as a whole, because it votes en bloc, is also therefore tighter hold to accountability to its platform and as most Germans vote for more for the platform first and only second for the individual, I feel our system is more democratic. In the US you never know who all of the sudden kisses up to what kind of legislation for what kind of dubious reasons.

May be I miss something in the German system. I obviously have some unfounded unreasonable rosy nostalgic memories about everything German ... :-)

by mimi on Sun Sep 18th, 2005 at 09:16:34 PM EST
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the longer I live in the States the more I feel that nostalgia myself. But, back to the issue of the individual Rep./Senator's vote mattering more - I think it's more democratic in theory. In practice, most if not all the advantages of the American system are erased by the absolutely lethal combination of three factors:

  • the extent to which so many people have been brainwashed by the fundamentalists (and their increasing grip on the MSM)

  • the incredible amount of money a candidate needs to muster in order to compete in any election

  • the influence of lobbyists.


If you can't convince them, confuse them. (Harry S. Truman)
by brainwave on Tue Sep 20th, 2005 at 01:54:21 AM EST
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agree very much.
by mimi on Tue Sep 20th, 2005 at 10:15:57 PM EST
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