Talk and Discussion

America after the Midterm Elections

The Midterm Elections have been concluded and power has shifted in the American congress. Even though the Democratic party was able to keep a slim majority in the Senate, the House of Representatives will be dominated by the Republicans, whose influence on American policy making will increase in the second half of Obama’s term.

The renowned and experienced USA-expert Professor Dietmar Herz commented and analyzed the outcome of the midterm elections. In his introductory words, Herz shed light on the voting behavior of Americans and put the outcome of the election and Obama’s “loss” of the House of Representatives in historical context. How will the new constellation of Congress influence Obama’s political agenda and future as president? Which role does the Tea Party play and to what extent will it affect the presidential election campaign for 2012?  These and other questions were answered in the discussion with Prof. Karl-Rudolf Korte.

Prof. Dr. Dietmar Herz is permanent secretary at the ministry of justice in Thuringia. Since April 2000 he has been teaching Comparative Governments in the Politics Department of the University of Erfurt and has been Director of the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy. Various international guest professorships and research stays have led him, for example, to the United States, the John F. Kennedy School of Governemnt at Harvard University, and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Secretary Herz is member of the selection committee of the McCloy Academic Scholarship Program, and his years of experience is reflected through a variety of publications, like the 2010 published work “Understanding the United States of America” (Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft Darmstadt).