Kjartan Mannes

I just realized last night that I know more about the political and legal system of the United States than I do of the Norwegian system. This came to me as I was trying to read up on Norwegian politics to find out where my country is headed, and I kept getting confused. The irony is that I read a dozen or so political blogs that focus on U.S. politics and never suffer the same level of confusion. After trying to find out the cause of this I remember that I learnt most of the basis of the system used in the States from the few years I spent in school, in a Norwegian school and not the several international schools I attended while my family lived aboard. We spent 3 weeks on the checks and balances of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches as well as the how the powers were divided between federal government and states. I've never had anything approaching the same information on the Norwegian system, and I haven't really got a clue on where to figure it out.

I actually know more about the Democratic presidential nominees than I do about the ministers of my own country. Or maybe its just one of those things Norwegians who have spent their whole life in Norway learn over the years. Seeing as I spent a little under 3 years in the Norwegian school system I might not be the best critic of the educational system in Norway. Which from my experience is rather backwards compared to some schools I have been through my during limited life experience so far.