Germany
This was my first opportunity to visit Europe and experience a completely different culture. My learnings began as soon as I boarded the plane for my non-stop flight to Munich on the German based Lufthansa airlines. The experience on a German based carrier was unlike anything I had experienced on the American based airlines I had flown in the past. The crew were incredibly hospitable and made sure that everyone was taken care of from take-off to landing. Everything on the flight was included, entertainment, on demand movies, full hot meals and beverages. Even though I was flying coach in a small seat with limited space, the German airline really made me feel like a valued customer. This kind of hospitality continued
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In addition there is a 5.5 percent solidarity surtax. This brings to the tax burden to 16.7 percent of the German GDP. With the government taking in these tax dollars the German government spends approximately 44.3% of the GDP. Most importantly Germany’s budget currently enjoys a surplus. (http://www.heritage.org/index/country/germany). This is in sharp contrast to the United States which has one of the highest corporate tax rates, currently topping out at 35%, while the United States only spends 39% of the GDP. (http://www.heritage.org/index/country/unitedstates) This comparison puts clearly into focus why this is such a major point of interest in the current election. It appears that the cost of being in business in Germany is less than the United States and therefore makes them more competitive. I have seen this to be true in the amount of United States companies that have tried to relocate their headquarters to European countries to enjoy the corporate tax advantages.
Germany is a very strong country and is a leader in the economic and business environment. They have spent their energy working to innovate create new technologies. They focus on their people as a key asset and ensure they are trained and are a valuable element in the global work force. (http://reports.weforum.org/manufacturing-growth/germany/). This is clearly seen in the precision and skill of the processes and work force at the
1) What accounts for Deutsche Brauerei’s rapid growth in recent years? Specifically, what policy choices account for this success?
In 2010 Germany became the 3rd most important countries in exporting goods in the world. some of their most famous are automobiles. germany produces 5.2 million cars a year. These companies consist of companies like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Germany make over $1.337 trillion a year. Over 80 percent of Germany’s land is used for agriculture and forestry. In the western, the number of farms decreased dramatically between 1949 and 1997 because of machinery and economic jobs opened up and offered more money. sence Germany's has a very diverse landscape types of produce agriculture will change from region to region. Like in the east of germany, where normally s is flat, plants such as Cereals and Sugar Beets are grown.Fruit orchards and vegetable farms surround almost all large cities. In the south and western part river valleys make great places to grow Rhine.Germany is probably most known for its beer industry. Though it isn't only made in Bavaria it is where most of all the beer is made. Germany is one of the world's biggest producer of agricultural
German government established its system to distribute fairness to all by engulfing itself in the socioeconomic system. This idea differs from American policy which uses the government to develop systems of mass assistance (welfare, Medicare, etc) then state that the government shouldn’t control it. It has been demonstrated that his method is largely ineffective. The pricing and distribution of services is largely unfair with little to no reward for effective services.
1.Social: Germany and the United States have vastly different social structures that affect their respective citizens immensely. From analysing the various social differences presented in the documentary “Where to Invade Next,” by Michael Moore, one can deduce the differences in the quality of life between Germans and Americans.
There are a lot of of differences when it comes to comparing two nations together, there is a lot to think about. For example what could we compare? You could compare money intake for each household, you could just compare two nations just using something as simple as culture or maybe race. When comparing Germany to America you still have a lot of differences like the fact that in Germany you are legally allowed to drink and gamble anywhere in Germany at the age of 18. Germany has very small families, most families in Germany only have one kid, a big family would be considered at around maybe 2-3 people.
In Germany people travel to different places than the US. Many Germans choose to spend their vacation time going to the Balearic Islands in Spain (clarification). These are tropical islands with beautiful beaches and jaw dropping views. According to Jan Germans vacation there because it is “super cheap.” (was this place cheap?) Jan also said that many Germans enjoy traveling to the Mediterranean Sea because it is also cheap. They stay in Spain while there. (How should I word this??) The Mediterranean Sea also has crystal clear waters and unbelievable views. After hearing about what Jan had to say about vacationing I started to feel like Germans value travel much more than Americans. (Need to get more information in order to finish!!!)
As a low-wage country, the United States’ standard of living set by welfare, and the minimum wage set by the Fair Labor Standards Act are set about at the same level. As a result of this, people are less likely to work at the minimum wage because it is barely better than what they would be getting if they simply did not work and just lived on welfare. In contrast to this, Germany is a high-wage country who survived the recession and place high value upon manufacturing jobs. In the 2008 survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they uncovered that the hourly manufacturing compensation was $48 in Germany, and $32 in the United States. Furthermore, despite Germany paying more, they export immensely in comparison to America, who is the king of importing. Another great thing about Germany’s system is that the workers get six weeks of vacation that is mandatory by law, health care benefits, free tuition to Universities, pensions, and child care. The German government also realizes the importance of competition and aide in vocational training, have laws in place that provide money for people’s research projects, and finally, require constant training that improves the skills of their workers. Not only this, but Germany mandates that a certain number of workers hold seats on the board of directors in companies. Similarly, Nixon elluded to these ideas in his
Germany’s health care system pays for not only healthcare basics but also dental, optical, mental health. They will also pay for alternative therapies like homeopathy, to go to a spa, and more. The healthcare system is highly accepted by the German population. Pregnant women pay nothing for their care, while most Germans have a co-pay of $15 dollars once every 3 months for their doctor visits (Saul, 2014).
Germany does not rely on a single source of revenue. The statutory funds also referred as the sickness fund covers about 90% of the populations. The rest of the population (10%) purchase their own private health insurance. Contributions to the healthcare funds, which are based on income are made by both employers and employees. Germany has some 180 statutory health insurance funds, and they account for approximately 70 percent of the health system’s revenue (McKinsey, 2010).
Major Historical Changes: Germany has one of the highest economic productivity, technological development, and education in the world.
Transportation is another key factor for the German automotive industry. Germany is the geographic and economic centre of Europe: any part of the continent can be reached in one day by truck or three hours by plane.
The German government is definitely more democratic than the US government. Instead of a winner-take-all election, the German elections are based on proportionality. In the US, voters only get to choose between two candidates and two parties; whereas, in Germany there are several candidates and several different parties from which to choose. The German system allows the Bundestag to be filled accordingly to the percentages each party receives--the voters’ votes actually count instead of half the country being excluded. People have an adequate representation of their views and values when it seems that Americans have to settle for a candidate or party. In fact, Germany usually gets approximately 80% of its people to vote; however, the US gets
"THE BMW Group, as one of the world's most innovative companies, shows that Germany still leads the global field as a centre of innovation," says German Federal Minister Wolfgang Clement, who is patron of the award.
Currency exchange rate with Korea is favorable to US companies with 1 USD = 1,170 KRW as compared to Germany’s 1USD = 0.927EUR so there will not be a significant cost advantage if manufacturing is set up in Germany.
Why do you want to spend a year in Germany specifically rather than in another European country?