By the time you read this, the most remarkable election in American history will have come to an end, and either Hilary Clinton or Donald Trump will be the incoming resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, also known as The White House. But as I write, the world waits nervously for the result, both of the election and its aftermath. To help us understand how this course of events came to be, a large number of boys, parents and members of the Scots community were treated to a masterful explanation of presidential politics at Monday evening's ScotsIdeas on 'The Battle for America and the Future of Politics'. Guest speaker Dr Harry Melkonian, a Scots parent and Lecturer at the United States Studies Centre, gave a fascinating story of how and why Americans have come to elect their leader in the curious way they do.
From the creation of the colleges of electors at the birth of the Union to the more recent creation of 'super-delegates' in the Democratic Party and the expansion of the 'primaries', Dr Melkonian described how complex American democracy really is. When it came to the two candidates, he discussed their policies and the importance of listening to the questions asked by Mr Trump of America's economy and foreign policy stance, which are often lost in his presentation of them. With extended questions afterwards amidst campaign memorabilia going back to 1964, it really was a superb evening of rich ideas, for which we thank Dr Melkonian.
You can watch the full recording below, and click here to see other ScotsIdeas forums on topics ranging from sustainability to speechmaking, sports science to the art of motivating boys. We look forward to seeing you at ScotsIdeas in 2017.
From the creation of the colleges of electors at the birth of the Union to the more recent creation of 'super-delegates' in the Democratic Party and the expansion of the 'primaries', Dr Melkonian described how complex American democracy really is. When it came to the two candidates, he discussed their policies and the importance of listening to the questions asked by Mr Trump of America's economy and foreign policy stance, which are often lost in his presentation of them. With extended questions afterwards amidst campaign memorabilia going back to 1964, it really was a superb evening of rich ideas, for which we thank Dr Melkonian.
You can watch the full recording below, and click here to see other ScotsIdeas forums on topics ranging from sustainability to speechmaking, sports science to the art of motivating boys. We look forward to seeing you at ScotsIdeas in 2017.
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