LESSON IN GOVERNMENT
Junior Taylor Chappell finds European Union to be inclusive
Taylor Chappell (Contributed photos)
Today we went to the University of Innsbruck, where we met with a professor and student involved with the Innsbruck Center for European Research (ICER).
The organization focuses on research regarding the integration of the European Union. I was interested to find out that the EU operates similarly to our U.S. government, in that its decisions are based on a two-thirds majority.
It was eye-opening to see that countries around the globe are experiencing some of the same issues that we are. Opportunities like these allow us to realize the need for growth in the decision-making of American policy and also see where we are operating in the most efficient way.
This experience was also a reinforcement of the materials that I learned in MIS 3063 and ENGL 3880 in our summer session. Not only did I see the value of business writing and proofreading within the governmental policies that ICER researched, but I also saw the importance of a system that operates at its maximum potential.
Chappell (center) visits Innsbruck Center for European Research.
By the European Union’s continuing to make corrections to policies until nation-states have reached consensus, they have ultimately made members more likely to accept and uphold the new decisions/policies. This makes a political matter a positive interaction, unlike some U.S. decision-making processes.
Overall, I feel that the European Union has an inclusive system that is respected by its citizens.
The information that I learned in this session was a more detailed explanation than those that my stateside classmates may have received. By having the opportunity to ask questions, I was able to better understand a different political system and gain a new perspective of governmental operations.
-by Taylor Chappell, junior from Belvidere majoring in accounting
June 7, 2018