AGI

Society, Culture & Politics

The AGI Society, Culture & Politics Program focuses on crucial topics within the German-American dialogue, including: demographic change, migration/integration, and aging societies; electoral politics at the national, state, and European levels, and comparative analysis of Germany and the United States; diversity within Germany, Europe, and the United States; the politics of collective memory and identity, Holocaust remembrance and reconciliation, and shifting conceptions of national identity that shape perspectives and policy responses.
Reset

Episode 26: Deep History and Politics in Eastern Germany Today

How does the past shape today’s politics? For states in eastern Germany, memories of life in the German Democratic Republic are not that distant of a past. One example is …

Corona and Public Health Policy in Germany

“It’s COVID-19, stupid!” In Germany, we saw a quick turnaround in responses to the spread of the virus. As the German population has learned about the importance of prevention policies, …

Testing State Leaders in a Pandemic: The Rise of Andrew Cuomo and Markus Söder

“Never let a crisis go to waste.” So think many politicians when opportunities emerge to amplify their reputations. The truth is that crises do help politicians and voters to separate …

Episode 25: Defeat or Liberation: The Changing Interpretations of May 8

May 8 marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. While the displays of remembrance differed from the past given presence of the coronavirus, it …

Why Have Women World Leaders Performed So Well During the COVID-19 Crisis?

In 2019, UN Women reported that a mere 5 percent of heads of government around the world were female.[1] These handful of women, including German chancellor Angela Merkel, have dominated …

Watching Germany IV: Classic Films

This final installment in the AGI “Watching Germany” series is coming (hopefully) toward the end of a long shutdown due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. So, maybe file this for …

Episode 24: German Politics in the Coronavirus Era

Germany and the United States are both grappling with what policies to enact—and for how long—to combat the coronavirus pandemic, and the choices made by political leaders will have political …

Watching Germany III: Recent Films with Contemporary Themes

As the third installment of AGI’s “Watching Germany” series (see television and contemporary films on German history), I am turning to post-reunification films with contemporary themes. There is a multitude …

Watching Germany II: Contemporary Films on German History

Here in Washington, DC, we are into week six of the pandemic shutdown. Universities and public schools will not reopen until the next school year. Regular businesses might only (partially) …

Watching Germany during the Pandemic

As most of us sit, shut-in at home, in the midst of a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, there are many off hours and nowhere to go. Everyone seems to be watching …