What did the Allied Frankfurt Documents of July 1948 require?
A democratic and federal regime in Germany.
What approval was required by the Allied Frankfurt Documents for the constitution?
Approval by the Länder.
What control did the Allies retain according to the Frankfurt Documents?
Control over Germany’s foreign policy.
When did the Western Länder adopt their constitutions before the Basic Law?
In spring 1947.
Under whose leadership did the Parliamentary Council work in Bonn?
Konrad Adenauer.
In which year was the Basic Law approved and ratified?
1949.
What type of state does the Basic Law establish Germany as?
A democratic and social federal state.
Which powers are directly bound by fundamental rights under the Basic Law?
The legislative, executive, and judicial powers.
When is resistance permitted under the Basic Law?
When someone attempts to overthrow the constitutional order and no other remedy is possible.
What types of associations are prohibited under Article 9?
Those violating criminal laws, opposing the constitutional order, or opposing international understanding.
Under Article 18, when can the Federal Constitutional Court deprive a person of fundamental rights?
When the person abuses them to combat the liberal and democratic constitutional order.
Which constitutional amendments are prohibited under Article 79(3)?
Amendments affecting Länder structure, Länder participation in legislation, or principles of Articles 1 and 20.
What did Article 23 provide for in German reunification?
The Basic Law to extend to other German territories after accession.
What did Article 146 envisage about the Basic Law?
The Basic Law ending when a freely adopted German constitution entered into force.
On which date did the Berlin Wall fall?
9 November 1989.
What event did the fall of the Berlin Wall begin?
The decisive phase of German reunification.
What was the first step in the German reunification process?
Free East German elections.
Which treaty was signed under Article 23 during reunification?
The accession treaty.
What treaty involved external powers in German reunification?
The Two-Plus-Four Treaty.
When did the accession of East Germany into the Federal Republic enter into force?
3 October 1990.
What are the standard institutions of a Land?
The Landtag, the minister-president, and a constitutional court.
What are the governments of Hamburg, Bremen, and Berlin called?
Senates led by a mayor.
What is the name of the parliament in Hamburg and Bremen?
Bürgerschaft.
What is the name of the parliament in Berlin?
Abgeordnetenhaus.
Which Land does not have its own constitutional court?
Schleswig-Holstein.
How are German federal competences divided?
Into exclusive federal, concurrent federal and Länder, and areas where Länder may depart from federal law.
What justifies federal intervention in concurrent matters?
The need for equivalent living conditions or safeguarding legal or economic unity.
Name one exclusive federal competence in Germany.
Foreign affairs.
Name another exclusive federal competence in Germany.
Defence.
Which area allows Länder to depart from federal legislation?
Hunting.
Which other area allows Länder to depart from federal legislation?
Nature protection.
What is the CDU-CSU alliance composed of?
Two Christian-democratic parties.
In which year was the SPD created?
1875.
Which two groups merged to form the SPD?
Ferdinand Lassalle’s General German Workers’ Association and the Social Democratic Workers’ Party.
What ideological change did the SPD make after the 1959 Bad Godesberg Congress?
It abandoned Marxism and recognized the market economy.
When were the Greens created?
1980.
What significance did the Greens' Bundestag representation in 1983 have?
It marked the transition to genuine multiparty politics in Germany.
How was Die Linke created in 2007?
By merging the PDS with a dissident SPD movement led by Oskar Lafontaine.
Who founded the AfD in 2013 and how does it present itself?
CDU dissidents; eurosceptic and anti-system.
How many seats does the Bundestag have since 2025?
The Bundestag has 630 seats since 2025.
How many seats did the Bundestag have between 2021 and 2025?
The Bundestag had 736 seats between 2021 and 2025.
What voting system does Germany use for Bundestag elections?
Germany uses personalized proportional representation.
What does the first vote in German Bundestag elections choose?
The first vote chooses a candidate in one of 299 constituencies.
What does the second vote in German Bundestag elections choose?
The second vote chooses a party list at Land level.
What is the minimum vote percentage for parties to participate in Bundestag seat distribution?
Parties must obtain at least 5% of the votes.
How can parties participate in Bundestag seat distribution without reaching 5% of votes?
By winning at least three direct mandates.
How is the chancellor elected in the first two Bundestag rounds?
By an absolute majority.
What majority is needed to elect the chancellor in the Bundestag's third round?
A relative majority.
What can the President do after a relative majority election of the chancellor?
Appoint the candidate or dissolve the Bundestag.
What does the constructive vote of no confidence require to remove a chancellor?
Simultaneous election of a successor.
What must the Bundestag do within 21 days after losing a confidence vote?
Elect a new chancellor.
What options does the President have if the Bundestag fails to elect a new chancellor in 21 days?
Dissolve the Bundestag or declare a legislative emergency with Bundesrat approval.
What is sufficient to adopt a government bill during a legislative emergency?
Bundesrat approval.
What is the maximum duration of a legislative emergency for one chancellor?
No longer than six months.
What type of veto does the Bundesrat have on simple laws?
A suspensive veto.
What must the Bundestag do to override the Bundesrat's suspensive veto?
The Bundestag can override it by passing the law again.
What kind of laws require the Bundesrat's consent?
Approval laws concerning the Länder and their budgets.
How many Bundesrat seats does each Land have?
At least three and at most six seats.
What is the total number of Bundesrat seats currently?
69 seats.
What type of mandate do Bundesrat representatives hold?
An imperative mandate.
How does the composition of the Bundesrat change?
It changes according to the results of regional elections.
Is the Bundesrat a permanent or temporary body?
It is a permanent body.
Who elects the Federal President in Germany?
The Federal Convention elects the Federal President.
What is the term length for the Federal President?
The Federal President serves for five years.
How many times can the Federal President be re-elected consecutively?
One consecutive re-election is permitted.
Is the Federal President politically responsible?
The Federal President is politically irresponsible.
Is the Federal President the supreme commander of the armed forces?
The Federal President is not the supreme commander of the armed forces.
How many judges serve on the Federal Constitutional Court?
The Federal Constitutional Court has 16 judges.
What majority is required to elect judges to the Federal Constitutional Court?
Judges are elected by a two-thirds majority.
What is one function of the Federal Constitutional Court?
It reviews the constitutionality of laws and treaties.
Test your knowledge with 28 questions on German Federal Political System.
1. What did the Allied Frankfurt Documents of July 1948 require regarding Germany’s political order?
2. Which sequence best describes the preparation of the Basic Law before its ratification in 1949?
Review the complete course in the study sheet for German Federal Political System.
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