An Insider's View - The 24 US Presidential Elections, presented by an American citizen
I am originally from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, specifically Portland and Seattle. After living overseas since 2003, I developed a new perspective and empathy towards the US political system, noticing its challenges and shortcomings when compared to other systems. Although I did not choose a career in politics or political science, I am a former Red Bull executive and now a consultant, I became an avid reader and studier of the American political system. I think the structure of the system and the effects of its shortcomings are often misperceived as well as the mentality of the American voter and why they vote the way they do, which at times, may seem counter productive to their own interests. By teaching and sharing my thoughts and views, I hope to give students another perspective on the American political landscape for which they can form their own opinions and compare to their own system of politics.
Magdalena’s impressions:
On 5 November, 7th and 8th grade students had the opportunity to learn about the 2024 presidential elections in the USA. Joel Jelderks was kind enough to prepare a presentation which highlighted the most important parts of the electoral system, explained the different aspects of the election and deepened the understanding of its impact on society in the United States.
We also had the opportunity, probably for the first time for many of us, to discuss and learn from someone who is more directly affected by US politics and who can offer a different perspective. In an interactive exercise, we were all able to vote for one of the two candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, we liked best and whose viewpoints on various controversial and important issues we preferred, simulating the election on a smaller scale.
In return, Mr. Jelderks got the chance to talk about an issue that was particularly relevant to him and to engage with curious students, which is perhaps why he was willing to give this presentation.
I, and hopefully many others, learned a lot from this presentation and we look forward to a possible follow-up on the changes with Donald Trump as the new president.