Comparative Analysis of Geographic, Political, and Economic Dimensions: United States vs. Germany

Geographic and demographic features

The United States

The United States is a federal country comprised of fifty states and located in the continent of North America. It has an area that measures up to 3.8 million square miles and is regarded as the fourth biggest Country in the world. It holds a population of approximately three hundred and twenty-four people and makes it the third most populated country in the world. It lies between Alaska and Canada. The United States has a low birth rate of 13 per 1000 in the population. This is below the average of the world. The population is mainly made of immigrants. English is the country’ main language, and it is a multi-racial and multicultural country (Boldt, 2017).

Germany 

Germany, on the other hand, is a republic in Western Europe. It covers an area of 357 021 square miles. It has a population of eighty-two million inhabitants which makes it the most populous nation within the European Union. It is also second to the United States as the most common and popular immigration destination. The topography of the country is described by having borders with Poland, Denmark, Czech Republic and Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Luxemburg. It is characterized by highly pronounced temperate climate.

Political regime

United States

The country is based on representative democracy which is associated with the rule of the majority. The government is based on an American federalist system associated with government levels that include; the federal, the state and the local. Almost all political bodies and officials are appointed based on a vote. The country has fifty states with Washington DC being the country’s capital city. It has a two-party system which includes the democrats and the republicans (Boldt, 2017).

Germany

The country also has a representative democracy. It is also federal and has a parliamentary system. Its political system operates based on the country’s constitution. The country’s head of Government is the chancellor and is appointed through an election (Germany is different from the US, 2017).

Political conflict and competition

The United States

The United States is based on two-party systems. This includes the democrats and the republicans. The two create political conflicts in the form of a fight for power. The party in government and the one in opposition and thus balance each other in power. They battle and compete with each other during elections for the popular vote for members of Congress and the president (Boldt, 2017).

Germany

Germany can be characterized by having a multiparty system. However, it has been dominated by two popular political parties that include the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Christian Democratic Union. These are two political parties that battle each other for political power through elections. Currently, the CDU is the country’s leading party. The current chancellor is Angela Markel and was elected based on a CDU ticket. Despite having a multiparty system, the two parties; CDU and SPD find themselves battling each other.

Society            

United States

It is characterized by being a western culture with unique features associated with music, art, cuisine and social habits. It is a society considered as the most racially and ethnically diverse. It is also characterized by high levels of individualism. There is high complexity in life and a high appeal to technology. There are also few traditions and rituals (Germany is different from the US, 2017).

Germany

The German society can be characterized as being diverse and cosmopolitan. Its diversity is based on being the most popular immigrant destination in Europe. The people are friendly and very outgoing. They are focused on aspects of the family, friends and a time away from work.

Political economy

United States

It is a country characterized by having a mixed economy which is highly capitalistic. It has the largest corporations in the world. It is the biggest market in the world and the largest economy and is highly endowed with natural resources. It is the second largest exporter of goods and at the same time the largest importer of goods. It has a very high rate of consumer spending and is affected by the aspects of consumerism (Boldt, 2017).

Germany

It is a country characterized by a highly skilled labor. It also has high capital with low rates of corruption.  It is the world’s largest exporter of goods and the fourth largest economy in the world. It is a country with a very high level of innovation and technology. It is also characterized by being the home of the modern car because it is one of the largest car manufacturing companies in the world

Foreign policy 

United States

The United States foreign policy defines the country’s interactions with foreign nations, corporation’s organizations and its citizens. It is built upon the need for establishing a better world which is secure, democratic and prosperous.

Germany

Germany is greatly involved with multilateral cooperation among all nations. It is a great promoter of peace, democracy, and security for all human rights. The country’s foreign policy is driven by the value associated with the need for peace and partnership with neighbors as well as nations from other parts of the world. It is for this reason that it is the world most popular country (Germany is different from the US, 2017).

Current issues

United States

The United States has an extensive range of current issues. One of them is the issue of terrorism emanating from within. There have been frequent killings in the recent past.  In October 2017 a gunman shot openly on a crowd that was attending a concert. This incident claimed the lives of fifty-eight people and injured 546. There have also been other cases of shootings. These incidents bring out the question of gun control in the country (Boldt, 2017).

 Germany

One of the current issues in Germany is associated with high levels of immigration. In the recent past the crisis in Syria associated with political turmoil forced many of its citizens to seek refuge in other nations, and with Germany being the most popular nation, it received a high number of refugees. The country was left with the high need for integration of these refugees despite some challenges associated with terrorism (Boldt, 2017).

 

                                                                     References                                           

Boldt, A. (2017). A subjective comparison of Germany and the United States. Retrieved from http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/us-d.html

Germany is different from the US. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.expatica.com/de/insider-views/The-German-Way-10-ways-Europe-is-different-from-the-US_473500.html

Roylance, A. P. (2017). Populists and Autocrats: The Dual Threat to Global Democracy. Retrieved from Freedom in the World 2017: https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2017