Submitted by Andrew Schaaf on the 2013 spring semester study abroad program in Rome, Italy…
This week I had the first academic seminar for my internship regarding the upcoming Italian election. It seems that the electorate system in Italy is a bit dated and is hindering the Italian government’s ability to modernize in accordance with the rest of the world. The Italian election is a phenomenon as the current voters follow none of the voter behavior theories, which makes for a very volatile and interesting system. Also this weekend, we caught a glimpse of Carnivale here in Rome. We were out exploring near the Spanish Steps when we stumbled into Piazza del Popolo where we found ourselves in the middle of a festival. It was quite interesting to see how another country does its cultural festivals. It was nothing like any sort of holiday that we celebrate in the Unites States. Italy has a culture unlike any nation and it’s pretty awesome to see the difference.