To the Editors:

When I arrived in Australia in late January for my semester abroad, I foolishly expected to spend the next couple of months somewhat separated from the mayhem of the American political system. Yet, on my first night in Brisbane, upon hearing my accent, I was accosted by two businessmen who asked me the question that I have continued to hear each and every time I open my mouth:

“So, do you think Donald Trump’s going to win the election?”

This question continues to crop up in my daily life, whether it comes from my family, friends, homestay parents, taxi drivers or even strangers I’ve met in my travels. A fellow student on my program stayed with an Australian citizen who was constantly listening to the American news cycle about the 2016 election. Snippets of Trump’s speeches are commonly heard on both the radio and the nightly news, but other candidates also pop up rather frequently. I’ve heard many people have expressed fascination with Bernie Sanders, and in fact, posters with his face on it are plastered on streetlights in the neighborhood where I live, advertising an upcoming local talk about the election. In truth, I continue to be fascinated with the depth of Australia’s knowledge of American politics, considering my knowledge of Australian politics before my trip here was limited and shaky at best.

Perhaps some of the interest comes from the divide between the political systems in these two nations. Australia’s prime minister is not directly elected like the POTUS; they are chosen by the elected members of the party with the majority of the seats in the House of Representatives. Moreover, Australian prime ministers can dissolve Parliament at any point in time to call for an election and are not forced into the four-year election cycle of the U.S. Another important factor is that registering to vote and voting are compulsory in Australia.

I find it difficult to reconcile the fact that Australians are so tuned in to American politics because before this trip, besides a vague knowledge of Tony Abbott, I had no clue about the political climate of Australia. My time here has definitely opened my eyes to the importance of staying in touch with international politics. The Australians I have met are not frightened by Trump; instead they find him fascinating and a sign of the gap between Australian democracy and American democracy. If we were to follow Australia’s political system, Trump would never become the leader of our nation. Under the United States’ system, he’s a viable candidate. The liberal-minded (not to be confused with Liberal Party-supporting) Australians I have spoken to tend to admire Bernie, respect Hillary and garner great entertainment from the merry-go-round of the Republican primaries.

It remains challenging to ignore the overreaching invisible hand of American culture in this country. Even beyond that, it is hard to forget that the results of our presidential election do influence Australia and the rest of the world. Whoever is the next president of the U.S. will make decisions that will impact the way that Australia and most other countries in the world will function. Thus, Australians want Americans to choose wisely.

Oh, and one other piece of knowledge: Australians do not actually throw shrimp on a barbie.

– Melissa Cabat
College junior