Politics Talk

Has following international news changed how you see your own country?

Something I've noticed since I started reading the comparison posts here: I used to think of American politics as the default, and everything else as a variation on it. Now it feels more like one system among many, with its own odd quirks.

Seeing how other countries handle coalitions, snap elections, or even just how fast they count votes has made me less certain about some things I took for granted. I'm not sure if that's made me more cynical or more hopeful. Probably a bit of both. Has anyone else had that experience?