The document presents the text of two speeches and a group discussion of adult political education in the United States and Germany from a conference to compare recent social, economic, and political developments in the two countries. The first speech characterizes adult political education in Germany as comprising approximately 10% of the total adult education program. A clear relationship is indicated between recent demands for political education and disillusionment with highly industrialized mass society. Review of ten political education curricula currently in use reveals high interest among adults in West Germany in business, the family in modern society, educational policy, citizen action, the social market economy, and European integration. The second speech focuses on the United States and explains recent adult education demands as a result of dissatisfaction with corporate authority and a demand for citizen participation at all levels of decision making. The third report presents a discussion by German and American educators, government officials, and spokesmen from political institutes of the first two papers. Topics discussed include the relationship between political action and political learning, causes of the renaissance of interest in adult political education, cultural environment, and changes in adult political perspectives as a result of political education. The conclusion is that additional data on the nature of participation in adult education programs is necessary before valid cross-cultural comparisons can be made. (Author/DB)