What SHOCKED Me About Politics In Germany As An American

[@PassportTwo]

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[@volldillo]

Don't you have to change your intro? Aren't you meanwhile THREE Americans currently living in Germany instead of just two? 😀

[@Ss4Goten]

Betterhelp is an awful sponsoer and got into a ton of controversy in (I think it was) 2018. I'm sure you were unaware, but betterhelp is legitimately awful. For example they use dark patterns to made it purposely hard for vulnerable people to cancel subscription. Or how they had Care Dash illegally pretend to be licensed therapists )Without the real therapists knowledge) and when people wanted to use their service they said the therapist has no free slots and reach them through to betterhelp instead. Also they sold their patients data to social media platforms like facebook. Not user data, patient data. I know this video is 2 months old and maybe you realized what an awful service you're promoting by now, but I just wanted to make sure.

[@trueamnisias]

Having to queue for hours just to vote seems to be a thing in the US. I've never spend more than 5 - 10 min voting, you do it on your way to church/brunch/family outing......

[@jennyh4025]

Exactly, for me it’s always a nice little Sunday walk, 10 minutes (maximum) to get there 5 minutes inside (unless I forgot to look when Sunday church service ends) and 10 minutes (max) back home. A nice little stroll for the whole family. When the weather is fine I like to turn it into a longer thing and get some ice cream and visit the playground with my family.

[@ClaudiaThur]

Last election we had this in Germany, too. In Berlin they had another election at the same time and messed up with the correct papers. And there was a marathon on the same day, so they could not drive through the city to bring the papers to the right places. Because of that some districts of Berlin had to vote again last month.

[@bims_der]

you can vote in many schools too!

[@GilgameshMorningstar8]

​@@ClaudiaThurDeutschland ist sehr schlecht in Organisation. Ich war in asiatischen Ländern mit Millionen von Menschen und die organisieren Menschenmassen besser. Dafür haben die weniger Menschenrechte also schwierige Angelegenheiten

[@weinhainde2550]

​Habe in 5 verschiedenen Städten in DE gewählt. Nie Menschenmassen gesehen. Rede also keine Bullenkacke​@@GilgameshMorningstar8

[@rainerzufall42]

"Passierschein A38"? What a cool running gag! I was really surprised, and I don't think, that this is familiar for anyone, who hasn't seen a certain "Asterix" animation film in a German dubbed version! Great job!

[@rainerzufall42]

LOL, yes, I mean THAT movie!

[@ReinaSaurus]

german bureaucracy ultralight version "the twelve tasks of asterix". normally youd fail several times until you find a document somewhere which lists the necessary forms and permits you need...

[@soulin11]

„Rundschreiben B65“ anyone?

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

I’m more familiar with the Asterix comics than the movies, but I also recognized the characters instantly.

[@noahe.2861]

I think being automatically registered helps a lot!! Especially during these busy times. If your are above 18 you automatically get a voters notification which you can take with you to vote. In the envelope there are instructions for voting by letter so you can easily register as a postal voter.

[@hypatian9093]

Or in the weeks before elections you can go to your local townhall with this notification and vote there. Even less hassle than postal voting imho.

[@zadarthule]

Germany already had a working voting registry when the Kaiser was still in power.

[@fabianstiefel1586]

You don't even need to take your voters notification to the vote. It's enough to just bring your ID or Passport, as they anyway have a list of all voters living in that district and just need to confirm your identity. In Germany they try to make it as easy as possible to participate in a vote, without any unneccessary hurdles

[@user-cx6kt3ku2f]

The fact that you don’t have to register when you move to another place in the Us is crazy. That makes law enforcement and general organization for state departments a million times harder!

[@user-cx6kt3ku2f]

@@zadarthuleI mean your door was probably kicked in and you were arrested if you voted SPD but the registry worked great!

[@jancleve9635]

18:24 Yes, the fun starts in the 1 to 3 months AFTER election night. My favorite time to watch politics: For the americans here. Imagine a dating show that is preped by letting the candidates shittalk each other for 3 month. After the election the party with the highest percentage seeks out partners to form a coalition, from the pool of parties that have been shittalking and blaming each other for month. Super akward and amazing entertainment.

[@marsultor6131]

Also love it, when a government changes, seeing the former governing party blaming all the countries problems on the new one from day one, as if the last government didn’t exist.

[@HiJk_cy]

@@marsultor6131 Beispiel: CSU/CDU hat 16 Jahre in Folge die Kanzlerin gestellt, davor 4 Jahre Opposition, und vorher wieder 16 Jahre am Stück den Kanzler gestellt

[@greentoby26]

@@HiJk_cy 7 Jahre.

[@HiJk_cy]

@@greentoby26 stimmt, ich hab mich vertippt, danke für den Hinweis

[@peterberg12353]

@@HiJk_cydas macht scholz aber nicht automatisch besser

[@egerm6255]

Me looking at the comments in The middle of the video: "why the freak is everyone talking about clothlines, this video is about politics hahaha"

[@PassportTwo]

That’s one of my favorite things about the random question of the week 😂😂

[@Visitkarte]

😂 Clothline for everything but bed linen and towels. Next?

[@NoZoDE]

12:32 That "respect" can be seen every year in early february on BR. (Franconian/Bavarian) Members of all politcal parties come to attend "Fastnacht in Franken" and sit with people of opposing parties at one table drinking wine during the carnival show while they get roasted by the people on stage

[@RoonMian]

And then on the political Ash Wednesday all that "respect" goes up in smoke.

[@charis6311]

@@RoonMian Am Aschermittwoch ist eben alles vorbei ;-)

[@SalLy-ec9cn]

Wait for the Nockherberg. 😅

[@Carlo_von_Habsburg]

Frankne

[@blackwolf721000]

A big difference in voting advertisements is robo-calls and personal visits. These campaign centers where they call individual homes to advertise their candidate, and going door to door don't happen in Germany, much of it because of privacy and disturbance laws. Also of course the campaign and party financing - in Germany the parties simply get a fixed amount of money for the number of votes they received, to pay for their campaign expenses. They don't buy massive, super expensive slots on television for ads, as every party has an equal right to have their campaign ads broadcast at specified times, as well as strict limits as to how much, where and in what form they may advertise. So they don't need to gather millions and billions from rich candidates, donors and the population. This also makes it much more accessible for candidates who do not have much personal wealth.

[@kotzpenner]

If someone robocalled or visited me to persuade me to vote for their party, you can be sure I’ll not vote for them even if I would have otherwise, maybe even never.

[@MrVecheater]

Personal visits?! Omg 🤣 stay safe

[@Ratos-gz4hg]

Using a clothesline is far more common where I'm from

[@kai9137]

same with me, but i'm too lazy ffor that so I'll always use the dryer

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

I enjoy this video, as I do most of those you produce. As an older man who has live, worked, and/or studied in three European countries, incl Germany, and in two African and two N American nations, I welcome your internationalist viewpoint. The one, overarching difference between US elections and those of almost every other democracy, you failed to mention, however. This is how election campaigns are financed, and the limits on campaign spending.

[@PassportTwo]

Thanks and I’m glad you enjoyed! Ya, like I said, I can’t cover EVERY difference in one video. If I get a good response and people seem they want a part 2 on the subject, that will definitely be included.

[@Stefan_Dahn]

​@@PassportTwo Yeah, part 2, part 2, part 2, pleeaassee. 👍👍🙏

[@philw6056]

@@PassportTwo As a german this is one of the most notable differences. It's all about money. I don't know if there was a single photo of an US campaign event in your video without a "please, send me money" message. And if I recall it correctly, campaigning, asking people for money on the telephone and similiar stuff is one of the most important parts of a us politicians work. Nothing about that process sounds fair or appropriate.

[@JonasReichert1992]

Usually you do know who the Bundeskanzler is at Election night. It’s almost always the Candidate of the Party who got the most Votes. (Usually it’s the Person who run the Party at the current moment. ) usually they stay as leader of the Party and become Chancellor on top. Yes theoretically it could be someone else- but that’s rare

[@labelmail]

one important difference ---- money------- USA elections seem to revolve around money, not so in Germany biggest difference - every party gets some campaign money from government according to the number of party members, adverts in non privat TV channels are free of charge and the slots rotate though all the parties each for one day so voters are not drowned in them. privat TV channels adopted that policy and are not completely free of charge but they can ask only for original costs donations are allowed to a certain limit anonymous, above the donor *must* be named nobody needs to reach a certain amount of donations to run for an office nobody in jurisdiction is voted for by regular voters nor appointed by a politician I am sure there is more, @ Passport two maybe look into that

[@oldfrittenfett1276]

Clothesline it is. Why waste electricity, when just waiting does the job just fine.

[@maylinde986]

The line outside in the fresh air. The dryer only when you don't have the time to wait.

[@Aine197]

Drier also for bedding, especially when stuffed with down, as it might spoil otherwise

[@BR618]

over 5°C: outside on a rack at my balcony; under: in the basment drying room; if hte basment is full (10 party-house): on a rack in the bathroom with a lot of airing the room ^^

[@fern_cf2574]

5:59 I've literally grew up with her. There are so many out there who never experienced someone else in charge.

[@joshina4497]

Same, and it was hard for me to accept a man as chancellor. xD tbh, I still don't.

[@Keksdich]

Oh you sweet Summer Child 😊

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

While I was burn under the Kohl government, my active memory of chancellery starts with Schröder.

[@Justic_]

@@HappyBeezerStudios Basically same, although my entire memory of Schröder as chancelor starts with him getting voted out for Merkel lol. I was like 6 at the time.

[@hone-i1d]

Having a resident registration system has more advantages than the automatic partizipation in municipal, district, state, federal and European elections. Cities receive their part of the collected taxes in relation to their number of registered inhabitants. Those numbers are also important for planning and forecasts. Therefore most countries have a compulsary resident registration system in place, except for the outliers USA and UK.

[@jensschroder8214]

In the 1920s, the German parliament changed very often and politicians always prevented each other from governing. Today it can be difficult to get a majority in the German parliament, but after long debates the government decides. In the US today I see a blockage in decisions much more often.

[@HiJk_cy]

In Deutschland blockiert die oppositionelle CDU/CSU sehr oft, weil sie damit hofft mehr Wählerstimmen zu bekommen, normalerweise macht das aber keine Partei außer der AfD, die aber zum Glück noch relativ wenig Macht hat Innerhalb der Bundesregierung blockiert oft die FDP, was die Regierung in Deutschland, und die FDP in ganz Europa unbeliebt gemacht hat 🖤❤️💛 ❤️,💚 Kein🤎,💛,💙

[@hypatian9093]

Yes, the 5% minimum has made the German parliament after 1949 more functioning. Enough parties that most voters have representatives in the parliament, but it's not too difficult to form a coalition.

[@Luke-pp2lw]

@@hypatian9093from a Danish perspective 5% seems high, we have a 2% minimum which allows for more parties and less strategic voting. Forming the government also rarely takes more than 2 weeks, but that might be because of the culture of compromise in the Danish parliament

[@Arltratlo]

Germany, 6 months no Government, no problems.. USA, got a government, only problems!

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@Luke-pp2lw Luckily the danish minority in Germany is excluded from that threshold. For federal elections a party needs at least 3 direct seats or 5% of votes, but right now the SSW has one seat in the Bundestag despite only getting 0.1% of total votes. The 5% are to make sure parliament isn't completely fractured. Just look at the 1907 election that had 5 liberal parties or the election 1928 with 17 parties and 4 independent members, where some parties only had two seats out of 491

[@reinhard8053]

First it is said that about 66-69% of possible voters are registered. Then 66,8% of citizens were voting ? Is that 66,8% from the 69% or were about 100% of registered voters in fact giving their vote ? I don't have a drier.

[@Matruchus]

Across the EU citizens don't need to register for voting. Everybody that officially lives in Germany and is an EU citizen is automatically registered for election.

[@euli_mo]

@@Matruchus but the question is about the US

[@felixfricke6069]

Looked it up and it seems to be 66,8% of the total citicens so yes nearly all Registered have voted in that election.

[@DontPanick]

In the video an article was shown, that said 69.1% of voting-age population registered to vote (2.2 % more than 2018, where it was 66.9%). And 52.2 % of voting-age population actually participated in 2022 (voter turnout). Those are the so called midterms and not the presedential elections. The 66.8 % voter turnout mentioned later in the video are for the presedential elections in 2020. About 72.7% of voting-age population were registered in 2020. So 91.9 % of registered voters actually voted in the presential election 2020. My source: www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2022/demo/p20-585.pdf

[@sweetnlazy]

Same to me. Plus I’m wondering how many grown ups are not allowed to vote e.g. inmates/ former inmates and people without identification documents…

[@moatl6945]

»Surprisingly«, in Germany you are supposed to vote at your local polling station - or to do postal voting. A few years ago, a couple from an other German state visiting some friends on the weekend of federal voting (Bundestagswahl) showed up at my local polling station to vote here instead at their home.'s station. Interestingly, this is possible, but you have to apply for this beforehand and state why you would do so and this must be granted.

[@hypatian9093]

I was an election helper several times and we one had a very old person that had moved from one road to another in our town and should have gone to another polling station, but didn't look at the letter she got. We had to phone up the "chain of command" what to do with her. Someone from the red cross came, drove her to the other polling station and then home. Was less hassle than the paperwork for having her vote at our polling station.

[@lnt305]

You can also just vote beforehand at the city hall. The part about stating a reason is not true in my memory

[@emiliajojo5703]

Danke, danke John McCain gezeigt zu haben, das waren noch zivilisierte Zeiten

[@herbie1975]

Genau, und die Abschiedsrede von Obama an McCains Beerdigung komplettiert das irgendwie noch. Respekt und Anstand. Die sind irgendwann, irgendwo verloren gegangen. Leider.

[@anitapenkert389]

Mein Gedanke

[@MichaelBurggraf-gm8vl]

Diesem Dank schließe ich mich gerne an und hoffe, dass die USA bald wieder zu solcher Form zurückfinden. Übrigens war auch die Amtsübergabe von George W.Bush zu Barak Obama sehr zivilisiert und fair.

[@Linus-tz2tk]

​@@MichaelBurggraf-gm8vlUnd Obama hat auch seine Amtsübergabe an Trump besser gemacht als Trump es verdient hätte.

[@herbie1975]

@@Linus-tz2tk Irgendwie gibt es jetzt eine Zeitrechnung vor Trump und danach. Vorher war irgendwie besser (nicht unbedingt was Politik anbelangt, aber zumindest was Anstand anbelangt)

[@HerSandiness]

We noticed in the US how quickly our clothes would fall apart when using a dryer on everything. But in Germany, when we didn't HAVE a dryer and started using clothes lines, our stuff would last much longer. All that stuff in the lint trap does have to come from somewhere, you know? Now it's mostly clothes lines, but if we need something quick, it gets an hour in the dryer on the lowest heat setting. Whereabouts in Oklahoma are you from? We lived in Claremore (Rogers County) for 5 years back in the 80's.

[@HappyLoki585]

I would like to see part 2

[@PassportTwo]

Thanks for the feedback 😊

[@danielw.2442]

Clothesline outside by good weather Clothesline in the basement by bad weather (our dryer is just a backup for 'special' situations)

[@PattisKarriereKarten]

John McCain and Mitt Romney were two very rare American politicians with integrity and principles. Although I probably differ on their policies, I very much admired them for their decency. Great overall view of the German election landscapes 👍

[@anonymusug727]

I as German strongly agree to that

[@asshole9191]

McCain chose Sarah Palin as vice president candidate, please take a look at her before you praise him.

[@hypatian9093]

@@asshole9191 Question is if he would have had the same support from the party if he hadn't chosen her. Kind of appeasement.

[@asshole9191]

@@hypatian9093 well, but was it worth it? McCain was already not a moderate republican and he tried to appease the faction that was even further right. He made the fringe acceptable in normal parlance and basically doomed the republican party to just become the tea party until donnie forced it even more to the extreme

[@hypatian9093]

@@asshole9191 Appeasement never worked - I thought we learnt that with Hitler and the Munich Agreement?

[@marinaab7276]

I live in California, but I'm from Mexico. I use a clothesline when it is warm and sunny. I use a dryer when it is cold and rainy.

[@Pewtah]

There is much material for a second part e.g. how are campaigns and ads for parties and candidates shown on TV and why; what about voting by a letter ("Briefwahl"); what are the opening hours of the ballots, when is showing first presumptions ("Hochrechnungen") allowed on TV; are voting machines allowed (in June 2007 the german Chaos Computer Club hacked such a device and turned it into a chess computer)? Your video about these topic would be appreciated.

[@michaelmedlinger6399]

I know one video cannot cover everything, but one important point should be considered. When an election is approaching, German citizens automatically receive a package in the mail containing your voting documents. Among these documents is a sample ballot with instructions on filling it out (they can on occasion be rather complicated) and documents and instructions for mailing in your vote. You are not required to give any reasons for voting by mail. Moreover, during the last couple of weeks before the election, there will be booths (in shopping centers and heavily trafficked public areas in the city, for instance) and offices where you can just hand in the ballot (in Hamburg, at least). As I have been a German citizen for only 10 years, I still enjoy physically going to the polls and casting my vote, but I know a lot of people who mail in their ballots. There are so many Americans who are violently opposed to voting by mail; they are convinced it opens the door to voting fraud (see 2020). It seems to me that Germany does all it can to make voting easier and more convenient so that people are encouraged to vote. Americans seemed determined to do everything possible to make voting difficult. Let me think - which party is especially dedicated to keeping people away from the polls? Duh!

[@thyme3605]

Do you verify your ballot is counted? How do you know for sure it was counted? Your mail service is different than the US as well, we’ve found dumped mailed in ballots in trash bins, would you trust your local post if this happened?

[@michaelmedlinger6399]

@@thyme3605 „We‘ve found dumped mailed-in ballots in trash cans“ - Who is „we“ here? How many such ballots have you yourself personally found? Or for that matter, friends and acquaintances who have personally found such ballots? You comments raise red flags as bearing all the marks of a conspiracy theorist (which doesn‘t without a doubt mean that you are one, but does give rise to a certain level of skepticism). If you have verified information from reliable sources of such incidents - especially any such incidents on a scale that could come even close to affecting the outcome of an election - I would be glad to hear about it so that I can review it myself.

[@Mobbin25]

Germany is difrerent in the regard, that in Germany it is very hard to not be registered to vote (maybe even impossible). If you move you have the duty to register that in the Einwohnermeldeamt (registration office) within three months, but you don't lose your old registration unless you register your new home. (Of course that would be very inconvienient, because your Voting notification would be sent to your previous home and the voting booth you're assigned to is near your old home, but you still can vote, as long as you get your hands on your voting notification, because you will need this alongside your ID (which to have and carry with you is also your duty if you're German and 15 or older. You can get fined for not having an up to date one.)) And I don't know weather it is possible not to register your child and get away with it for 18 years, or getting German citizenship without being registered. I doubt both very much.

[@christianstephan7301]

Fun fact - most voting booths don't really check your voting notification, since they already have a list of all allowed voters in the given Wahlkreis (= voting district). So most of the time they only verify your identity via ID and if you are on the list and did not use postal voting, you are good to go.

[@ritabrinkmann6704]

After moving you have to register within 2 weeks (not 3 month). The fine if you‘re to late is up to 1000 €. And it‘s only your duty to have an ID, not to carry it with you. For example, if you do not have your identity card with you during a traffic control or a demonstration, there is no penalty. However, if you cannot identify yourself with other documents, there is a risk that you will be taken to the police station to verify your identity.

[@Mobbin25]

@@ritabrinkmann6704 Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't aware of the exact specifics so I tried to communicate the gist of the matter at hand. And I definitely learned that there are some really nice people working at the registration office (not that this comes as a surprise).

[@ClaudiaG.1979]

I'm using a "Wäschespinne" in the summertime and the dryer in winter..

[@denzzlinga]

Cloth line, electricity ocsts money and in most weather conditions the cloth dry just fine by hanging them to the cloth line. I only use the dryer if i´m in a hurry, or if the weather is too moist.

[@karinland8533]

Wish more people would be interested in this video. When I had a family of four I used a dryer mainly for beding and towels. No I’m single and exclusively use the drying rack on my balcony or in winter in my flat. Will you ever use your extra infos for a video by it self?

[@bananenmusli2769]

10:30 Hey, you showed the ballot paper of my constituency. Main-Spessart goes international!

[@HopeeInk]

I feel like that I should really give you your flowers, for the creative ways you name your videos every week. You rhymes game is lowkey impressive 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@Why-D]

Using a close line as often as possible, the "solar dryer". I think one difference is also, who and how can loose the right to vote. In the prison, the people just make a postal vote, and it is very unlikely, that someone looses the right to vote and if, the person will receive it back after some years.

[@SiqueScarface]

#both. I have a drying machine, which I use, but I also hang clothes on a clothes line. If you are a German living abroad, you are voting for the electoral district of your last address in Germany. That means, that I, after more than 20 years living in Austria, still vote for Frankfurt(Main) II. Wahlkreis.

[@HG-ru3nr]

The main different is that in the parliament, members can get their chair whit their party. For this is the second voice at the election. So it is not normal that one party get complet government. And the member of parliament must speak with members from the other parties.

[@ismirdochegal4804]

When it comes to showing Americans what election campaigns in Germany look like, you've just picked the most chaotic time in 80 years.

[@michaelz.7140]

for small pieces like socks and underwear and towels and bedsheets I use the dryer for everything else the drying rack.

[@anda013]

Clothesline, and i can surely say no one uses dryers in my neighborhood even if its not sunny the wind does a pretty good job drying it.

[@McGhinch]

I wonder how many of your not-German-viewers know about "Passierschein A38". Random question: clothisline -- ir wheather permits, in the cold periosd: dryer. Edit: changed typo Passierschein A0938 --> Passierschein A38

[@HalfEye79]

I have a combined washer and dryer. And the clothes are chosen, that I a) can put them in the dryer and b) don't have to be ironed.

[@doktorsmiles2034]

The Passierschein A38 bit made me giggle

[@Fabian-Wenzel]

Chancellor Kohl was also Chancellor for 16 years. Kohl's party put him up again as candidate for Chancellor in the 1998 federal elections. However, Kohl lost to Gerhard Schröder.

[@hunter8383]

As you are from Oklahoma: Recently there was a documentary about Oklahoma on ZDFinfo. May be you can make a video to classify and/or clarify from your perspective. Would be very interesting!

[@PassportTwo]

Hey! I’d be interested in seeing this documentary. Do you happen to have a link?

[@hunter8383]

@@PassportTwo Sure" kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZnciJtqo8aclcU

[@peter_meyer]

@@PassportTwo I guess he's talking about this one: GhyWh4nai_c

[@piffpuffpeng]

@@PassportTwo Google "ZDF Mediathek Oklahoma". My links get deleted.

[@nbarrio]

​@@PassportTwojust google zdf ibfo and oklahoma and there you have it ;-)

[@soniadume4419]

Hang line for my wash. I want to say that I have been following you on you tube since you arrived to Germany. It has been so exciting to hear about topics you address. I am getting ready to return back to the US and I can’t imagine going back during an election year. It is awful to see all the media only discussing the negative of the opponents. It makes me sick! Then that hatred pours over the people and then you have a reason why people don’t want to get involved with politics. I love that I can vote but if I could submit my vote and note see any ads anywhere until Election Day that would be wonderful. I will continue to follow you when I go back as a small piece of happiness during these trying times. Thank you for all you and your wife have done for us.

[@12e_1]

As you already know, Germans are efficient, economical and don't blow up the political circus, which is exactly how the election works here. I would also like it to be the way it was a few years ago. It is rude and useless to dress each other down during election rallies. After all, it's about an important issue and not about who can inflate his ego the most, like Trump does.

[@thyme3605]

Turn off the fake news. Just like many lies and propaganda are told about wars, and y’all still believe it? 🤦‍♀️

[@klaushoegerl1187]

Draft beer in a restaurant is cold but not too cold, because that would worsen the flavor. However, often elder people have stomach problems and prefer warmer beer (better "less cold"). In many restaurants you can order a "beer warmer" where you put your glass in, often made of copper and containing a little amount of lukewarm water to adjust temperature.

[@hypatian9093]

Regardless where you live in the world: Go and vote! And if it's possible, volunteer as an election helper. You learn so much doing that :)

[@conniebruckner8190]

RQotW: we regularly hang our clothes to dry on a clothesline. We don't own a dryer. Our building has one, so I could use it, and have at times for big bulky items. Re election differences: No one here in their right mind would want to wear a sticker that reads "I voted", nor would you get phone calls urging one to vote. Europeans would find that childish and annoying, respectively. Many of us expats often comment on US elections, how, after so many decades they still only have a choice ( really?) between two parties, Third or even fourth parties have no chance at all and candidates are eschewed and blemed for taking away votes from the major candidates.

[@Romanslx]

Clothesline here is preffered as well

[@tobiasfritz5781]

With multiple parties it's unlikely for one of them to come out on top with a majority on its own, so they need to cooperate and form coalitions. Smearing campaigns of course would just poison their relations with the others, making forming coalitions more difficult. Do you think US politics would change if they had just one more (visible) party to vote for?

[@chrisk5651]

Ideally I would prefer clothes fresh out of the dryer (machine - mine is natural gas operated!). Especially if it’s cold out or cool or chilly. But the dryer is not great for clothing and lessens their longevity, can also lead to shrinkage and wrinkles - so I end up hanging a lot of clothes to air dry rather than machine drying.

[@hanswurst7131]

Big thing: "Voting by Mail" We regularly vote by mail, so easy to register just by scanning a QR code in your personal election-notice that came by mail. Then entering personal info to verify. Receive your voting slips in the mail a few days later and send them back, postage is already taken care of..

[@move4472]

Yes a part 2 plus particularly for the counting process And of course on a line 😂❤

[@klarasee806]

Clothesline of course 👍 Great video!

[@lnt305]

Okay but while you have to wait for the coalition to be formed, the final vote count is determined within election night. I still struggle to understand why the US is so bad at that

[@antonutjatin]

Great video! Thanks for promoting democracy ❤

[@thyme3605]

Constitutional Republic in the US.

[@Wissenskontor]

I would prefer a line, but our balcony is located in such a sub-optimal way, that, when it rains, and that's often, your clothes will become wet, again. Also aren't we allowed, by rental contract, to have the line further up, then the balcony railing. There is a drying room, but only about 20 square metres vor 16 families. So it is a dryer.

[@Anson_AKB]

with so many parties, it mostly no longer is possible to have a majority to govern alone. when people need to find partners after the election, they still fight hard before, but with much less personal attacks etc. and most people have different opinions on many subjects, what is most important and which party might represent them best, instead of hardened opposing fronts between only two parties (that was the case decades ago with only two really big parties, but nowadays often even three parties are needed to have a stable majority). all this causes to have a much more "civilized" dialog and discussions. and as already was said, parties and not a president or chancellor are elected, and parties finance everything. the parties nominate their candidates and it isn't a billionaire (and lots of lobbyists) who look for a party to support them. yes, partially there are also divides in germany, mostly between the two big ones decades ago, but as is done in (private) political discussions, it's less about candidate A/B yes/no. i can easily agree with some (more or fewer) goals of almost(!) any party and thus few people widely announce for whom they vote (the law says that elections are secret, just the opposite of registering with a party to be allowed to vote). this also causes less of an active and visible divide in daily life.

[@martinstock]

"it mostly no longer is possible to have a majority to govern alone" In the history of Germany-wide free elections (I.e. since 1848), this occurred only once. 1957 the CDU got 50,2% of the votes. But still did form a coalition government.

[@fritzhartmannhandykanal]

12:40 PASSIERSCHEIN A38!!! love that joke

[@Phantom-mg5cg]

5:30 They don’t need to. Also the Bundestag (parliament) can elect anyone they like as Chancellor. It just got established that the major parties announce their candidates before the election for the Bundestag.

[@emiliajojo5703]

You don't need your ID in Germany. Election Information is in the Mail,incl .an qr code, but works without as well.just ask for in Mail voting,no reasons required.than put your voting papers in any mailbox. Not even a minute all together.I miss her.

[@pcxPOT]

ofc you need id, how else would you stop voter fraud?

[@marcelfietzek9262]

3:26 please play the intro to roger in one piece 😂😂💀💀

[@justlaila9834]

the us president election definitly feels like a bad reality show, the last election was during my 11th grade so in english class we talked about it a lot, we watched the debates (which also felt so 'un presidental'), the campaigns the canditates do, the system is just weird and electoral night just feels like that big finale its insane (in an actual insane meaning)

[@benelz8542]

Which is why as a German, America is my favorite show 😍 there is always something wacky happening and my favorite character recently has become Kamala Harris💙lol i sound a lil delulu but American elections really are so dramatic tbh and it really just seems so weird especially some of the News Channels like Fox News another reason why i am glad i don’t live in the US

[@wilsusonnect795]

The ceremonial role of the Bundespräsident is actually an interesting one. He is essentially the German people incarnate. That is why it was such a big deal when Ukraine did not want to welcome the Präsident. It's a huge diplomatic insult, because in diplomatic terms, this means "you, the German people, are not welcome". It is also the reason the Präsident welcomes state visitors. Again, in diplomatic terms, this means "the German people as a whole greet you", while the chancellor only represents the government, which isn't even the whole parliament, let alone the people. This concept applies to everything the Präsident does and it's why he's generally not considered part of the judiciary, the executive or the legislature, but its own thing. This way, when the Präsident pardons someone, it's the German people who pardon one of their own, not a state institution. And when the Präsident vetoes a law, it's the German people vetoing it. That's the political theory in a nutshell. Also, a small unrelated side note: your pronunciation is really good for a lot of words. If you want to elevate it that little bit to sound more native, work on your short u sound. It's the difference between Boondestag and Bundestag. Sadly, there is no short u sound in English that I can compare it to. Might sound like a small thing, but it's something almost every English speaker gets wrong and it's very noticeable for a native. Also applies to other words like Hund, bunt, Dunst, Frust... And lastly, I don't know if it was on purpose, but huge props for picking the "Nazis töten" poster for Die PARTEI at 8:48. Right on the money.

[@chickenwing3946]

Amazing comment, sad that something that took a lot of time didn’t reach his attention.

[@eisikater1584]

Your random question: Clothes line. I don't even own a drying machine, and when I owned one, I wasn't satisfied with the results. Sure, it's wintertime now, so clothes take longer to dry than in summer, but I have a garden, and whenever the weather allows, I'll hang them outside.

[@Tenajeh]

About the campaign duration: The "official" campaigns may be limited. But outside of lamp post posters and linear TV, politicians constantly tell their followers on social media who not to vote for (everyone but them).

[@_Obi-Wan_Kenobi_]

Drying machine for t shirts, hang the trousers and stuff. Great video

[@Gert-DK]

Actually, I followed a US-American KZbinr living here in Denmark. She was/is a resident here, not a citizen. We were closing in on elections. Imagine her surprise, when the voting card turned up in the mail. She got busy studying the local politics, as resident you are only allowed to vote in locals, commune and region. It hadn't crossed her mind, that it all happens automatically. Her video: "Voting in Denmark as a Foreigner / American in Denmark"

[@JonaxII]

It's so funny that in the US, voting couldn't be done on Sunday because church, while in Europe it's done on Sundays because historically you would vote at church, after Mass.

[@thyme3605]

Yet the stores are usually closed on Sunday, so weird. We also have votes on Saturday or Sunday in my state, the US is a large country. We also have voting early in the morning and late into the evening.

[@Vojtaniz01]

Clothesline. Other than my in-laws who have reconstructed their bathroom last year, I don't know anybody who owns a dryer.

[@joshina4497]

I hang my clothes instead of using the dryer, mainly because that's how I grew up and that's what I'm used to, but also because I heard it can damage the clothes and it's also of course bad for the environment to use a dryer. One more reason for me personally is that I'm a university student using a washing machine in a communal washing room in the basement of my house, which still makes me kind of uncomfortable, so like this it's one communal machine less that I have to use.

[@M.N-f1x]

i'd like to add that voter disenfranchisement and voter suppression aren't a thing in germany. You're an ex fellon? Great, go and vote. You're serving time right now? Great, here's your absentee ballot. There are very few instances where people are stripped of the right to vote and a judge has to decide on that explicitly. You already mentioned that voting is much easier in germany than in the US. It's also more private. No "i voted" stickers and nobody knows what party you voted for. There's no such thing as "registered CSU Wähler". You can be a member of a political party, but that doesn't necessarily mean you vote for them in every single e!ection. That being said, I mainly use a dryer.

[@nickthequick2326]

Thank you for including the mccain clip. One doesnt have to agree with his politics, but he had integrity and refrained from fearmongering.

[@alexandermarkhart1582]

Clotheslines in the summer and cold winter days. Dryer generally on days with bad weather. Also I would love a part 2. For me personally it would be especially interesting why the U.S. doesn't change the voting system, or rather why there is no big movement to change it. Having a President less than 50% voted for seems just dumb and all the reasons I heard for it, just seemed outdated. Also I think a big reason why there is less shittalking in German politic is the voting system. As you said, there is rarely a Party which could form a Government by themselves. So you cant insult everyone since you might have to work together with them after election. Same reason why the AfD can use "U.S. style speech" since every other Party said they would never form a coaltion with them.

[@kand016]

8:48 😂 richtig gut, dass du das Plakat von der PARTEI gewählt hast 🤣

[@raulandrus]

Regarding yard signs - it's perfectly fine to put up political signs in your yard (or windows) before the 5 weeks campaigning time frame. Not many people do it though because for most Germans the secrecy of the ballot is holy and being associated with a certain party may lead to conflicts especially if you run a business. I personally don't buy products from some companies because of their support for some parties.

[@annakoenig7803]

Me and most Germans I know use the dryer only for towels and bed sheets. Everything else goes on the cloth line. It´s cheaper, better for the clothes + the environment.

[@noblephantasmx]

I actually expected to learn more about the differences in politics and not just elections. But it was still interesting.

[@monohe4d380]

It’s funny that me, a 23 year old german that lived here his entire live, and you who moved here a few years ago, Both witnessed a new chancellor being elected for the first time in 2020.

[@HexenzirkelZuluhed]

German: while I do have a dryer, i almost never use it.

[@Jutta-th9dc]

Part two, please!

[@Superbus753]

As a political scientist i have to say that the US political system becomes increasingly dysfunctional (partly because of the winner takes it all principle and the resulting two party system). To me it seems that (even though it is not perfect) the Swiss system is one of the best if not the best political system in existence right now.

[@Phantom-mg5cg]

18:58 I think there was no general election in Germany (after WW2), where it was not clear on election day who becomes chancellor. The last election was maybe the first one, where it was not 99.9% sure, but most people expected Scholz to become chancellor. On election day it’s easy to see which majorities are possible. At least from 1972 to 2017 there was no doubt who would become chancellor as there were clear majorities or one party got a huge win (CDU 2013, CDU 2017), so there were in fact no useful coalitions possible without them.

[@germankitty]

I use both a dryer and a clothesline. 🙂

[@tomopher]

We watch US elections like a reality show. The only twist, it's actually reality... It adds a bit of spice

[@kaoskwien]

One thing that was mentioned, too, was that when you get your notification that you can vote, which as explained means that you are registered to vote, is that you are not registered with your party and every time chose new what party you like to vote for. In reality we have about 4 to 6 big parties, not 12 or more, but more parties do exist. And we have something like wahlgeheimnis or right not to declare which party you voted for and don't have to tell. Because things like your views on religion, politics sexual orientation and so on are private and must not be be shared unless you agree to do so.. And we have different types of votes. Votes on a smaller scale in your county 16 year Olds are allowed to vote.

[@MechmanGetrieb]

Simple solution for the USA. Do go voting after church ! I use both. Cloth line and dryer. Depending on the situation. When in hurry Dryer it is. When not the line it is.

[@twinmama42]

RQOTW: both. All terry cloth goes directly into the dryer. Everything else on the clothesline. As long as we had a dog - the one that is my avatar picture would sneak into the bed while we were fast asleep (yes, she was a Rottweiler, and no, you wouldn't notice this 100-pound dog crawl into the bed, you'd wake up in the morning because she was snoring into your ear) - all sheets, duvet- and pillow-covers got a 12 min cold tumble in the dryer to remove all dog hair.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

US: Elections can't be on Sundays because of christianity. Germany: Elections are on Sundays because of christianity.

[@Cpt_Mackenzie_Calhoun]

Thanks for the Infos. But you forgot the Term Briefwahl. Or dosn't that exist in the US?

[@PassportTwo]

Didn’t forget it! I actually had that same included in this video but cut it for time. Might be in part 2 😊

[@grislyv2564]

Us its not a election if you can just choose between 2 partys

[@Bercule1453]

yeah, its Like one more choice than in China. Not much better

[@ichwillkeinenchanne1]

Depends on the weather....

[@leonk.3739]

This was an interesting video, thank you! I think you've not talked enough about a very important point that influences a lot of these differences: The German chancellor doesn't have a lot of power. He can't create or stop any laws or even directly tell the ministers what to do so it doesn't make a lot of sense to focus too much on the person who will become the chancellor.

[@Cantseemuch]

Fun fact: political posters are banned in a certain radius around polling stations. (Around 500 to 1000m I believe) to ensure neutrality

[@thyme3605]

Same in the US

[@dansattah]

When at home, I use my clothesline. When visiting my granny to wash my laundry, I use a clothesline and a dryer.

[@sorakoyo2673]

I really like dryers, just don't have the space nor the money for one xd

[@gruffelo6945]

Using a drying machine is a sin against the environment :p

[@alphariusomegon404]

German elections are about interest between different groups and what thing's should take priority for our Government, as well as in which direction these topics should go. It's not about the popularity of a person, it's about where we go as a country. And having such a diversity of options allows everyone to find, or even create, a choice which cover's the most intetest they had, with as little compromising as possible.

[@girlfromgermany]

I don't have a drying machine so I have to hang my clothes on a clothes line. Both have pros and cons.