So Unlike Ours: German Elections, German Parties
10:00 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008
Webster Hall Auditorium
Admission: free

With the vivid memory of the Weimar Republic’s disastrous failure, the framers of the German Constitution of 1949 crafted a unique election system that by all accounts withstood the test of time. Its characteristics, issues of voter participation, a survey of the diverse political party landscape, and how all of these compare with the political system in the United States are the topics of the presentation.

With a German law degree (Freie Universität Berlin), graduate studies in German literature (Case Western Reserve), a doctorate in European History (Claremont Graduate University), and a long career in teaching at an American university (California State University-Long Beach), Professor Jutta Birmele is uniquely positioned to lecture on historical issues of the German Constitution and its implied cultural values and contrast these with the traditions and trends in the U.S. She has lectured in 19 countries, won numerous awards and grants, and is currently working on special projects for the Liberal Arts College of CSULB.