Book Description

German politics today surveys the German political system, based on up--to--date information covering the period since the 1998 Bundestag election and the new coalition government under Chancellor Schröder. A concise survey of the historical background to the present-day political system, including the steps that led to German reunification in 1990, is followed by analysis of the institutions of political participation (election, parties and interest groups) and the institutions of government (the constitution, the legislature, chancellor government and the federal system). The book concludes by considering the symbiotic relationship between Germany and Europe, and assesses how apt it is to consider Germany to be a ‘normal’ democracy today. The author draws on German as well as English--language sources of data, ensuring that recent changes in the political system are fully explained, and provides coverage of the constitutional as well as the historical and partisan basis of contemporary German politics. Special features include boxes, (which explain topics such as the ‘surplus seats’ which have occurred at recent Bundestag elections), a chronology of events leading to German reunification, and examples of interest groups officially registered with the Bundestag. It will appeal to those studying undergraduate courses on German politics, and provide a valuable resource for those studying comparative European political systems.