Country Reports

The Minimum Wage in the United States

On January 10, 2007, only a few days after the newly elected Congress convened for the first time, House Democrats were able to celebrate a first success since their victory in last year's midterm elections. With the passage of a bill to raise the national minimum wage, the party kept one of its campaign promises and was able to realize one of the most important issues on the "First 100 Hours" agenda of the new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Report in German)

Midterm Elections Retrospective

Am 7. November des Vorjahres erhielten die Republikaner die politische Quittung für den umstrittenen Irakkrieg, für die Abkehr von ihren selbst erklärten konservativen Idealen und für ihre aggressive, der radikalen Parteibasis geschuldete Politik der Spaltung der Nation. Mit der Wahl repräsentiert nun eine Demokratische Mehrheit in beiden Abgeordnetenhäusern eine vor kurzem noch als langfristig unwichtig betrachtete politische Mitte der Gesellschaft. Diese Gruppe moderater, unabhängiger Wähler, die sich keiner der beiden Parteien zuordnen, hat an Größe und Bedeutung stark zugenommen. Die Partei, die es versteht, diesen Teil der Bevölkerung und seine Ansichten in ihren Gesetzesvorschlägen zu berücksichtigen und effektiv zu kommunizieren, wird in die Präsidentschaftswahlen mit guten Erfolgsaussichten gehen.

Memo to the Chancellor

Working with the United States during Germany’s Dual Presidencies

On the occasion of the German EU-Presidency, the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation commissioned a report by Dr. Daniel Hamilton - an outstanding scholar and expert on American foreign policy and transatlantic relations.

The Mid-Term Congressional Elections and U.S. Foreign Policy

Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

The election of November 7, 2006 that propelled the Democrats into the majority in both Houses of the U.S. Congress was replete with paradoxes. Few observers believe that the Democrats’ victory was a mandate for a sweeping new program, domestic or foreign. In fact, during the campaign the Democrats, while they did articulate a coherent domestic agenda, were content to criticize the Bush foreign policy without offering a unified position on the leading issue of the day, the Iraq war. The Democrats’ victory was more a repudiation of the Republicans, who had become identified with corruption, economic inequality, and a deeply unpopular war: in short, a feeling that the country was on the wrong track.

End of GOP Revolution

Dems win House

After having been the minorty party in both chambers since their dramatic defeat in the GOP revolution of 1994, the Democrats finally achieved a victory on November 7th, 2006. The Democratic party had to gain at least 15 additional seats from the Republicans to claim the majority in the House...

Another 72 hours - Will Rove do it again?

Weekly Review of the News - October 29 to November 6, 2006

The midterm elections promise to be captivating until the very end: despite a general confidence on the part of the Democrats to gain a majority in the House, their margins are diminishing as the Republicans are catching up in the polls...

Fünf Jahre nach 9/11 - Die Sicherheitspolitik George Bushs in der Diskussion

Think Tank Update September/Oktober 2006

The upcoming midterm elections on November 7 are widely considered to be a referendum on the war in Iraq and the security policy of President Bush. But even before the election results are in, it is already the case that, in view of the ongoing danger of nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea and a strenghtened Al-Qaeda front in Iraq, the "axis of evil" – which George W. Bush had vowed to battle at the beginning of his presidency – is now threatening to derail President Bush's security policy.

Nightmare on Pennsylvania Avenue?

Weekly Review of the News - October 22 to 28, 2006

To weeks before the elections, the Republicans - surprisingly - are prepared for a catastrophe - their defeat, says talk show host Bill Maher...

Got some change for me?

Weekly Review of the News - October 15 to 21, 2006

Three weeks before the midterm elections, the Democrats are facing funding problems, while the Republicans have the fiscal means but lack prospective candidates untainted by scandals. Even though most observers acknowledge future control of the House by the Democratic Party and its considerable chances to also gain a majority in the Senate, both President Bush and Karl Rove remain optimistic.

May Lil' Kim deliver us from Foleygate

Weekly Review of the News - October 8 to 14, 2006

While the Dow reached a five year all-time high during the last week, the Republican Party managed to sink to a new all-time low, says late night talk show host Jay Leno...