This isn’t our official “required” post for the week, but I wanted to take a minute to comment on our in-class experience in the Mock German Elections. I had read/heard about different democratic political systems before, but this is by far the most interaction and experience I’ve had. It was interesting to participate in a hands-on environment and simulate the election process of another country. Once elected the SPD winner for District 2, I (as well as my party) faced the challenging and rewarding task of forming a coalition with other parties in order to obtain a majority in the Bundestag. This was particularly difficult because we had to negotiate and compromise on issues without selling out our party platform. Eventually, the SDP, CDU, and Green parties were able to overcome differences and combine their strength to beat the FDP. I thoroughly enjoyed this eye-opening experience.