In God We Trust…All Others Have to Qualify
“In God We Trust,” that phrase enshrined on American currency, may be the only certainty in an era when trust is severely lacking in the government printing that money. And …
The New Head of Germany’s Foreign Intelligence Agency BND: A Noticeable Shift in Germany’s Internal Security Policy
Quite surprisingly, last Wednesday the German Chancellery confirmed the removal of Gerhard Schindler as president of the German Foreign Intelligence Agency (Bundesnachrichtendienst, BND). Schindler will be officially replaced by Bruno …
German Domestic Relations a Roller Coaster for Migrants
Upon opening the high-level Geneva conference at the end of March, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated that the world must “address the biggest refugee crisis of our time.” …
Obama’s Farewell Tour
Eight years ago, we watched an American rock star perform on a hot summer day in Berlin. That he was also a young, black politician seemed a revelation to the …
Scouting the Land for Opportunities: Issues and Challenges in Refugee Workforce Integration in Germany and the United States
March 13 saw strong voter support in three German state elections for the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party. Fueled by continuing waves of incoming refugees, anxiety is building in …
Recent Authors
AGI provides knowledge, insights, and networks as tools to solve the challenges ahead.
Support Our WorkBurden or Blessing? The Impact of Refugees on Germany’s Labor Market
Germany is in the midst of a heated discussion: Are refugees a burden or a blessing for the German labor market? Supporters of the “blessing” camp argue the country’s aging …
Transportation Gets Tricky for Germany
From April 23 to May 8, German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is expected to close an important stretch of track between Hanover and Kassel for construction work. This closure will …
A Party System in Flux
Coalition governments in Germany have a long tradition, though more so at the federal level (where there have always been coalitions) than at the state level. These two or more party coalitions are as a rule not desired, but are generally forced by the election results or determined by the strength of the political groups after the election.
Germans Go To The Polls
While many Americans were focused on the primaries underway in the U.S., on March 13, Germans in three states went to the polls to elect their state governments. The first …
State Elections as a Celebration of Democracy
Refugees decided the weekend’s state elections. The refugee politics were the 2016 power issue in competition between parties. All three incumbents were confirmed as minister-president in Rheinland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, and Saxony-Anhalt, because they have showcased superior competence in the face of epochal challenges.
Super Sunday Was Not Black Sunday
In spite of the wide-spread, largely foreign, media reaction to the three state elections, the sky did not fall on March 13. Chancellor Merkel’s unprecedented decision to welcome over one …
Landtagswahlen als Feste der Demokratie
Englische Version Flüchtlinge haben die Landtagswahlen vom Wochenende entschieden. Die Flüchtlingspolitik markiert 2016 die Machtfrage im Parteienwettbewerb. Alle drei Amtsinhaber wurden in Rheinland-Pfalz, Baden-Württemberg, Sachsen-Anhalt als Ministerpräsidenten bestätigt, weil sie …
