debating progressive politics in Europe and beyond
Many people know that it is electors in the electoral college that actually elect the president, not citizens voting on election day. They also may know that this system allows the candidate coming in second to win the election, as occurred in 2000, and thus violates the democratic norm of equality in voting. But more puzzling (and [...]
Angela Merkel’s announcement that she will actively support Nicolas Sarkozy in the upcoming French presidential elections came as a surprise to many. And although I have not been a staunch supporter of Merkel’s European policy, I am convinced that she is doing the right thing. But I was also irritated that many Germans felt alienated and spoke [...]
Whilst a lot of hyperbole is spoken with regards to online campaigning we shouldn’t underestimate its importance. Online campaigning is useful because it can facilitate a more bottom up and consultative process than traditional campaigning. It can also join geographically distant groups relatively cheaply. For that reason a well organised online campaign movement for the [...]
On Sunday, there are state elections (Landtagswahlen) in the German state I grew up in (Saarland). And there is currently a big row about the governing Christian Democrats (CDU) using the ballot paper for stealth campaigning. The background: It is almost certain that the CDU will lose their absolute majority and there is a neck [...]
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