Amerikanische Exceptionalismus und die Gesundheitskrise. Ein Vergleich amerikanischer und deutscher Kultur und Politik hinter dem Gesundheitswesen

This work describes the current political debate on health-care in the United States and compares the language and conceptualization of health-care in America with that of Germany. With interviews from various German party members, Ulla Schmidt, the former German Federal Minister of Health, and Howard Dean, the former chairman of the Democratic National Convention, this thesis analyzes the differences in political culture and structure between the US and Germany in order to better understand how American "exceptionalism" can be reconciled with an effective and lasting health-care reform. The current discussion Germany about its own health-care reform provides a framework conducive to comparing the two nations' conceptualization of health-care. This thesis also analyzes the reform in March of 2010.