Download Politics in Germany

Politics in Germany
Historical Legacies
Federal Republic of Germany
• Population: 82 million
– The most populous country in Europe
– except for Russia
– 68 million in the former West Germany
• Area: about 3 times that of Mississippi
– Britain ~ 2/3 Germany
– Germany ~ 2/3 France
area (square miles)
population (in thousand)
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Britain
France
Germany
A World Power
• Third largest economy in the world
– behind U.S. and Japan
– largest in Europe
GDP (constant 1995 US$)
1E+13
9E+12
8E+12
7E+12
6E+12
5E+12
4E+12
3E+12
2E+12
1E+12
Germany
France
Japan
UK
19
98
19
96
19
94
19
92
19
90
19
88
19
86
19
84
19
82
19
80
19
78
19
76
19
74
19
72
19
70
19
68
19
66
19
64
19
62
19
60
0
USA
GDP per capita (constant 1995 US$)
50000
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
Germany
France
Japan
UK
USA
19
98
19
96
19
94
19
92
19
90
19
88
19
86
19
84
19
82
19
80
19
78
19
76
19
74
19
72
19
70
19
68
19
66
19
64
19
62
19
60
0
Historical legacy
• Late development in
– creation of the nation and state
– industrialization
– democratization
– consolidation of democracy
• Remarkable achievement in
– postwar economic development
– postwar democratic consolidation
Build the nation state
• Second German Empire (1871)
– industrialization
– devastated by World War I (1914 - 1918)
• Weimar Republic (1919)
– first real experience with democracy
– economic problems
– war reparations
– Great Depression (1929)
Democracy broke down
• Weimar Republic lost popular/elite support
• Nazi won 33% of popular vote in 1932
• institutions of Weimar Republic dismantled
The Third Reich (1933 - 1945)
Germany in ruins
• military and
civilian
deaths
• industry and
transportation
destroyed
• food scarcity
Occupation
• Germany divided
• West Germany
– Federal Republic
of Germany (FRG)
• East Germany
– German
Democratic
Republic (GDR)
East Germany, West Germany
• Both were formed in 1949
– Basic Law of FRG (West Germany)
• Both had economic miracle (1950s - 70s)
– sustained & unprecedented economic growth
– East Germany still lagged behind
• Both were integrated into alliances
– West: European Community & NATO
– East: Warsaw Pact
Reunification 1990-10-03
• Impact of Soviet politics
– Gorbachev reforms in 1980s
• GDR opened the Berlin border
– November 1989
• GDR’s first free election
– March 1990
• Unification of the FRG
– October 1990
Germany's GDP Growth Rate (% )
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
1992
-0.5
-1
-1.5
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
A federal system
• Federal Republic of Germany
– federal government (Bund)
– 16 states (Lander)
• Other federal systems
– United States
• Unitary systems
– Great Britain
– France
Federalism
• Usually described as a division of power
– spatial or territorial division
– component units are geographically defined
– states (e.g., U.S., India, Australia)
– provinces (e.g., Canada)
– Lander (e.g., Germany and Austria)
– cantons (e.g., Switzerland)
– regions (e.g., Belgium)
A federal system
• Federal Republic is divided into 16 states
– 10 states (Lander) in the West
– 6 states (Lander) in the East
• including Berlin
– differences in historical traditions, social
structure, dialect, and economy
– state jurisdiction in education, culture, law
enforcement, and regional planning
– more governmental overlap than U.S.
A federal system
A parliamentary system
• central institution of the federal
government
• bicameral parliament
– Bundestag (lower house)
– Bundesrat (upper house)
• Chancellor
– chief executive
• President (mostly ceremonial role)
A bicameral parliament
• Bundestag
– primary legislative body
– 669 deputies
– directly elected
• Bundesrat
– represent state governmts at the federal level
– 69 members (3 - 6 per state)
– appointed by state government