Politics in Germany

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Politics in Germany
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Federal Republic of Germany

• Population 82 million
• Parliamentary republic
• Federal System
• Mixed member proportional electoral system

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A federal system

• Federal Republic of Germany
• federal government (Bund)
• 16 states (Lander)

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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

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A federal system
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A parliamentary system

• central institution of the federal government
• bicameral parliament
• Bundestag (lower house)
• Bundesrat (upper house)
• Chancellor
• chief executive
• President (has a mostly ceremonial role)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel
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A bicameral parliament

• Bundestag
• primary legislative body
• 669 deputies
• directly elected
• Bundesrat
• represent state governments at the federal level
• 69 members (3 - 6 per state)
• appointed by state governments

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Electoral System

• Germany utilizes a system called Mixed Member
  Proportional. (Hybrid System)
• Half of the members are elected through FPTP and
  half through proportional representation where
  representatives are selected by party lists
• Germany uses the 5 rule whereby a party must
  have at least 5 of the popular vote to have
  members selected by proportional representation