Comparing Germany vs USA, from the hip, the two biggest differences are voter enfranchisement and form of elections.<p>#1 The USA (mostly) requires voters be &quot;registered&quot; prior to voting. Whereas most modern democracies like Germany have universal registration.<p>#2 USA (mostly) uses first past the post (aka winner takes all) whereas a quick googling suggests Germany uses proportional representation. So in the USA, when 50% + 1 is a victory, every vote counts.<p>Consequently, voter registration and get out the vote (GOTV) have become central to campaigns in the USA. Also called ballot chasing.<p>These quirks (and others) in USA elections have created a campaigning arms race, leading to ever more costly elections.