4 ms·
Heck, I remember it getting drilled into me in middle school that the Nazis were able to kill so many Jewish people because they had complete records of where e
by garmaine 6y ago
Heck, I remember it getting drilled into me in middle school that the Nazis were able to kill so many Jewish people because they had complete records of where everyone lived and their religious affiliation. When the time came, they knew what doors to knock on. It boggles my mind that this system still exists in modern Germany, of all places.
The American model is highly distributed and need-to-know. Many government forms ask for your current address, but it is not automatically shared with the police and there is no requirement to update it in a timely manner.
Many Americans are highly skeptical of the police, and for good reason. Expecting people to go to the police to register when moving would be a complete non-starter in most neighborhoods that I have lived.
- chrisseaton 6y agoAmerica is even more extreme - there the state asks you for your political affiliation in many cases. That’s absolutely crazy to me.
- mcntsh 6y agoHmm I've never been asked this on any official form other than when I register to vote (so I can join a party), and that's optional.
- chrisseaton 6y agoRight... but why does the state want to know which party you're a member of? This doesn't get supervised by the state in other countries. It's usually a personal, private matter between you and the party.
- mcntsh 6y agoAh, right, sure that's a good point but I wouldn't say it's more "extreme" than other countries, seeing as it's a totally optional thing. I can vote in elections without being affiliated with a party. In Germany, for example you don't have the choice but to have your race/gender/religion/address on file with the central government. Disclaimer: I'm not complaining about how it is in Germany/other countries in Europe. The trust in government is quite high here, and for a good reason :)
- garmaine 6y agoIt's for two reasons: First we have a system of primary elections, and in many jurisdictions your party registration status determines which primary you can vote in. You have to be registered Democrat to vote Democrat, registered Republican to vote Republican, etc. The local election board is the one who oversees to vote, so they need to know your party registration in order to make sure you get the right ballot and the right ballot information (which is sent by mail beforehand). In many jurisdictions you can also "decline to state" and then in a primary election you have to tell them each time which ballot you want. Second, it's used in state redistricting. Having this information be public allows auditors to check if redistricting is resulting in gerrymandering.
- chrisseaton 6y agoBut I feel like I can keep asking ‘why’. Why does the state have its nose in political party business? Why are they running party primaries? Seems like something that should be firewalled off from the state? In other countries parties run their own candidate selections as private business and the state can’t meddle in it, so the state doesn’t have to ask what what your affiliation is.
- twic 6y agoThis is somehow connected to the fact that US political parties are mostly not mass membership organisations. Everywhere else in the world, if you strongly support a party, you join it, and pay a membership fee, and the party adds you to a register. Then, you can take part in party activities, like internal elections. In the US, you register as a supporter of a particular party with the state. Then, everyone registered can take part in (some) party activities, like primaries. It's a weird system, and i don't know how it started, but because Americans don't realise it's weird, there isn't much written about it!
- littlecranky67 6y agoRace and religion are definitely not required (=optional for you to give) when you register for permanent residency in Germany. Source: I am a german who completed the form multiple times after moving.
- mcntsh 6y agoAFAIK there's a direct connection between the church you are apart of and the government via Kirchensteuer. As it relates to ethnicity, you're right. I can no longer edit my original comment though.
- garmaine 6y agoI think you can say “no religion” though and then not pay your tithing taxes, no? There’s no requirement that if you are Jewish you register as such (but then, your synagogue misses out on money).