Hi, I’m Dr. Ashton Schottler.
A former teacher and architectural historian with a PhD in Human Geography…. You can say, I like studying communities and I do that by examining how humans across the globe have shaped them.
And as someone who has lived, studied and worked in both the United States and in Germany, I especially love the juxtaposition of life that manifests itself from one country to another.
From macro-economics down to micro-urbanism, I explore and explain the political economics, society, and culture that shapes the world around you…. And I share all of this through my personal lens of an immigrant navigating that world with you.
Uncovering the storytelling behind the data, I hope to keep these topics accessible, easy to understand, and interesting… I hope you will be entertained, and maybe learn something along the way.
Do you have a question worth diving into? Well, Type Ashton and let’s find out together.
Type Ashton
According to the Federal Reserve's 2025 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, Americans made approximately 35 percent of their consumer payments using credit cards in 2024. Another 30 percent used debit cards. And just 14 percent used cash.
But here in Germany? The Bundesbank's 2023 payment survey found that credit cards accounted for just 6 percent of recorded transactions. Debit cards accounted for around 27 percent. And cash still accounted for approximately 51 percent.
What gives? Take a look with me in this week's video here:
1 week ago | [YT] | 64
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Type Ashton
I recently stumbled upon a two statistics that I just couldn't get off of my mind:
1) Relative to income, it costs large companies four times more to lay off Germans and French than American workers.
2) Resultantly, Americans are ten times more likely to be fired than Germans in any given year.
To many of you, and myself included, this likely sounds like a great virtue of European life.
But it has costs... depending on who you ask.
That's the topic of this week's video! I hope you enjoy!
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 65
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Type Ashton
It's been a while since I've done one of these - so let's do a fun deep data dive!
As an American living in Europe, I’ve spent years wondering why flying in the United States often costs so much more.
A relatively short domestic flight in the USA can often cost several times what I would pay for a similar journey in Europe. In fact, a flight covering a similar distance and taking roughly the same amount of time in the USA can cost several hundred dollars.... while in Europe, it is the price of a dinner for my family of four.
So in this week's video, I’m digging into why that difference exists!
Starting at Chicago O’Hare, I compare the American and European airline industries to see what is really driving ticket prices. We’ll look at airline competition, consolidation, airport access, taxes, geography, and the rise of ultra-low-cost carriers in Europe.
1 month ago | [YT] | 88
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Type Ashton
Many of you might know this, but I grew up in rural, deeply conservative America, where politics, religion, patriotism, family values, guns, and ideas about freedom were all woven together into one worldview. For most of my childhood, I never really questioned it because nearly everyone around me saw the world the same way. But after leaving the United States and eventually building a life in Germany, I began to see many of those beliefs from the outside for the first time.
This video is about what happened when that comparison started changing the way I understood America. From healthcare and family support to guns, religion, political participation, and the fear of “socialism,” living in Europe forced me to reconsider what I had been taught about freedom and responsibility.
Filmed from our farm in Illinois - I'm looking forward to your thoughts and reactions in the comments!
2 months ago | [YT] | 148
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Type Ashton
NEW VIDEO: Democracy across the West is moving in two very different directions.
Using the latest V-Dem data, we look at democratic backsliding in the United States and Europe — but also the surprising places where democracy is fighting back. From America, Britain and Italy to Germany, Hungary, Poland and the Nordic countries, what separates democracies that are weakening from those that remain resilient?
And perhaps most importantly: what actually happens when a democracy starts to lose the institutions that keep elected power in check?
2 months ago | [YT] | 84
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Type Ashton
WE ARE LIVE.
Thank you to everyone for hanging in with me as I worked out the earlier issue with the upload. I hope you find the video is worth the wait and enjoy this week's topic!
3 months ago | [YT] | 111
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Type Ashton
Hi Everyone.
Well, here’s what I get for trying to work ahead and have to videos ready at once. 😂🙃
It appears that the next video (two weeks) was uploaded with the this video's details (chapters, description, thumbnail, etc.). This is an error that was done 100% on my part, and was a mix up in prepping for my summer break. 🤬
I'm currently working to resolve the issue and will have the video with the correct information up to you shortly.
Apologies in advance for those who got a "sneak preview" of the SUPER early video already. When the new video is up, I would love for a watch for the correct content.
3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 321
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Type Ashton
This streetcar does something very rare in American urbanism. It makes the city feel like a city again. It shows that even in America — even in a red state, even in a car country, even in a place where “public investment” can sound like a dirty phrase — people will support infrastructure when it is useful, visible, and tied to local prosperity. Check it out in my latest video now!
3 months ago | [YT] | 100
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Type Ashton
I recently had the pleasure with chatting with the Martin Ganslmeier from the ARD German Public Radio on the topic of "How do Americans view Germany and the Germans?".
Check out our chat here!
www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/wie-schauen-die-us-am…
4 months ago | [YT] | 200
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Type Ashton
Americans often assume Europe “just doesn’t believe in air conditioning” — but the real story is a messy mix of old buildings, energy costs, climate politics, culture, and a continent heating faster than it was built for. In this video, we break down what Americans often get wrong about Europe’s heat problem, why AC is still controversial, and what the future might actually look like. Check it out now!
4 months ago | [YT] | 122
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