INTERNATIONAL NEWS
USA academics
spark a discussion
Keleabetswe Narenti
The school of Basic Sciences hosted
a visit from academics from the United States of America (USA), who are
currently busy with their studies in
politically related fields, with the aim
to create awareness around political
systems around the world and see
how they affect people.The colloquium was based on the recent South
African democratic elections and the
upcoming USA mid-term elections
and the American election process.
The colloquium consisted of presentations, from students of the Florida
A&M University and lecturers from
the school of Basic Sciences which
all highlighted the importance of
elections and freedom of choice in
the United States of America and in
South Africa.
The presentations from the students
of Florida A&M University focused on
issues such as:
The American electoral system
The American electoral system is
very different from the South African
as it has in the history of the US only
been two majority parties fighting for
the running of the country which were
the Democrats and the Republicans
18 - Student 24/7
and now there are the Independent
democrats. The students took turns
to explain the complicated electoral
system and the anticipation of the
2014 mid-term USA election, which
according Modjinah Lavache, student Florida A&M University studying
Public Relations with International
Relations subjects, the US mid-term
elections are more like the SA local/
provincial elections.
As everyone is concerned about the
outcomes of the presidential elections for South Africans the candidate has to win majority of the vote
to win but this is not the case in US,
the candidate has to win vote in the
states where the majority of people
live and most of all where his\her
supporters are. “Even the campaigning is different, as a candidate you
invest time and money campaigning
where your supporters are, where
you not needed you don’t go.” Said
Prof Christopher Daniels, Research
Development Director.
Cash in politics
Maurice Jackson, Accounting student at Florida A&M University with
global security subjects said that politics in the US have to do with raising
funds more than anything, and how
the candidate will use that one once
they are elected as president, Maurice highlighted an important concern
amongst Americans when it comes
to making and spending money in
the US, which was the debt care
that Americans are living in which is
mostly caused by student loans and
the lack of affordable health. He said
that the average American spend
110% of what they earn, the other
concern was.
Through the discussion amongst
the political science students and
the USA students about elections in
their countries, Prof Christopher and
Pro Rabali concluded that we can all
learn other countries’ mistakes.