Views on the Presidential Election Around the World

As Election Day approaches, millions of American citizens are getting ready to cast their ballots for their preferred candidate. Most Americans will decide between the two major party candidates- the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, and the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. As we enter the last month of the campaign, tensions are rising. While many American citizens have voiced their opinions on the election, we have not heard much from citizens of other countries. We at Pudong Press decided to interview people here at Shanghai American School from different countries on their thoughts about the American presidential election.

Name: Yunkei Chow
Country: Singapore

Is your country’s politics affected by America’s politics? If so, how?
Although Singapore is an American ally, it hasn’t really been involved in the American election/current politics. Donald Trump hasn’t mentioned it either. 

How does American politics compare to your country’s politics?
So Singapore’s politics are a lot different - there is really only one party, the one by the ruling president, who is also the son of the “founder” of Singapore. Singapore is not so much about the nativism white policy that Americans - those people who have been Donald Trump’s main supporters – it is always known as a multicultural city/country full of immigrants. American politics are hella different in that term and Singapore would align more with a prime minister (same role as American president, there’s also a Singapore president) that would continue the current Singaporean policies.

What would you ask Donald Trump and/or Hillary Clinton? 
I would ask Donald Trump what his credentials are and how the American people are supposed to trust him with federal funds and control over the governments economy when all of his own businesses are going into debt, most recently the closing of one of his casinos in Atlantic city. 

Name: Jason Kang
Country: Canada

Is your country’s politics affected by America’s politics? If so, how?
Because Canada and America have a lot of strong ties economically (they’re major trade partners of each other) and politically (they have similar political processes and ideological similarities), Canadian politics and American politics must often adapt to fit each other. For example, Canada’s security, like those of many other Western nations, depends heavily on the American leadership. Take the World Wars for example. Canada and America cooperated greatly during that time to eliminate global threats.

How does American politics compare to your country’s politics?
Canada is a constitutional monarchy whereas USA is a representative republic. In its current state, I find that the American political system seems much more aggressive, focused more on bringing the other candidate down rather than to promote each other’s positives and work together for more constructive solutions, regardless of who is eventually elected. For example in Canada, the losing party, still remains as the Official Opposition, who’s main goal is to view the flaws of the ruling party and promote positives to construct better solutions. As Justin Trudeau once said, “Conservatives are not our enemies, they are our neighbors.” This shows how the Canadian system is more about cooperation. Furthermore, I find that the American election seems too extreme. What I mean by that is that often times, there are only two choices that citizens can choose from: Democrat and Republican, as third parties are often overshadowed and rarely make significant impacts. Whereas in Canadian politics, it doesn’t feel so much as an extreme rivalry as a it does a spectrum of political ideology where many more parties have significant presences in the election, like the Conservatives, the Liberals, the New Democratic Party, and the Bloc Quebecois.

What would you ask Donald Trump and/or Hillary Clinton? 
What are your plans to work with other nations at the NALS [North American Leaders Summit] to further consolidate cooperation in development between North American nations, especially with regards to the building of clean growth economies?

Name: Andrew Chang
Country: Taiwan 

Is your country’s politics affected by America’s politics? If so, how?
A bit of context: Taiwan is in the first island chain, which means in the case of war, we’re (part of) the first line of defence. America would do a lot to have us on their side. Our newly elected president, Tsai Yingwen, a member of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), is pro-separation (from China) and pro-America. This means that the two countries are really tight and we’ll favour America significantly (which may not be all that beneficial). Best thing to do, in my opinion, is to play China and America off of each other. We must be more than a simple pawn.

How does American politics compare to your country’s politics?
Taiwanese politics are incredibly similar to American politics in terms of sensationalism: politics is reduced to gossip and politicians are reduced to men (and women) who covet. However, Taiwanese politics is worse than American politics in that we have party infighting.  The other party, the Kuomintang (KMT), is marred by infighting. Our former president was disgraced because of a cabinet member who constantly worked against him; better candidates are discarded in favour of those with better political connections – all the bad stuff, and more. Our system is broken as well. The president can appoint his cabinet without the approval of the legislature, while the legislature can pass laws without regard for the president, since the president has no veto power. In simpler terms, there are no checks and balances, and if the president and the legislature are of different parties, no progress can be made. Our system is broken and young men and women are running away. Seriously.

What would you ask Donald Trump and/or Hillary Clinton?
What’s in it for you? Do you really care for your country?

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Name: Jade Cardot
Country: France

Is your country’s politics affected by America’s politics? If so, how?
Yes; economically. 

How does American politics compare to your country’s politics?
America has 50 states that are united, whereas France is only one state. Presidents are also elected differently. 

What would you ask Donald Trump and/or Hillary Clinton?
Trump: please don’t ruin America. You already ruined your businesses! ​​

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