50/50

The political situation in the United States was a totally new topic for me because the news in Romania talks only about American presidents. Therefore, it helped me understand the fact that not all countries are run in the same way.

One aspect which was difficult for me to understand was that there are only two parties. In Romania, we have a lot of parties and some of them always govern together, because nobody ever seems to get a majority. This means that they have to find the things they agree on but also make compromises. I think making compromises is a good thing, because this way we ensure that everybody’s rights are represented. However, I understand that if the difference in the two chambers is very small, it can actually throw the country into chaos, as laws can’t be passed. So in a way, it may be better for one party or a coalition of parties to have full power so they can actually do their job and then at the next elections, they can be judged by what they achieved rather than blame the lack of majority. One participant in the festival, cultured_gazelle said that political division has a negative impact on all the people, and that it is a choice between right and wrong. I strongly disagree with this, because, unless we’re talking about a tyranny, there will always be different points of view which even if they will be good for most people, will never make everybody happy. So it is not a question of right and wrong, but rather of what works better.

In conclusion, I learned that different countries are run differently. But the topic also helped me understand that elections are important. Many people in Romania say that elections don’t change anything. But this isn’t true. Elections are important and do matter.