GOVERNANCE AND POLICY-MAKING

Question 1

The 5 percent clause rule obliges a party to get at least 5 percent of the “second votes” in order to enter the Bundestag as a party. True or False

Answer 1

True

Question 2

When reunification came to Germany forty years later a new governing document was adopted, scrapping the old one. True or False

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The provisions for federalism and divided powers in Germany tend to keep policy change slow and incremental. True or False

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Since the birth of the Federal Republic some 60 years ago, undemocratic parties have received miniscule voter support despite occasional neo-Nazi threats and some incidents of racial violence. True or False

Answer 4

True

Question 5

The German state features a fairly weak president and a much stronger chancellor who is elected by the bicameral parliament’s lower house. True or False

Answer 5

True

Question 6

Rarely do most members of the governing parties support the chancellor because each wants to establish his/her own political reputation when elections occur. True or False

Answer 6

False

Question 7

The German president is the head of state, exercising significant powers with the ability to veto any legislation passed by the governing bodies. True or False

Answer 7

False

Question 8

Since the birth of the Federal Republic some 60 years ago, there have been several woman presidents. True or False

Answer 8

False

Question 9

German presidents are usually senior politicians who are moderates within their parties and broadly acceptable to the electorate. True or False

Answer 9

True

Question 10

Although a common practice for a prime minister in parliamentary systems to call for early elections in an attempt to strengthen political advantage, this is not a common practice in the German system with the president and the Constitutional Court having the power to prevent it. True or False

Answer 10

True

Question 11

Under the Weimar constitution, disparate forces could band together to unseat the chancellor but were then unable to agree on a replacement. True or False

Answer 11

True

Question 12

A German chancellor cannot be removed unless the Bundestag simultaneously elects a new chancellor usually from an opposition party. True or False

Answer 12

True

Question 13

German Chancellor Merkel opposed Turkish membership in the EU and suggested that “multiculturalism” was a poor model for German society. True or False

Answer 13

True

Question 14

Similar to conservatives in the United States, Angela Merkel believes that climate change is a ridiculous non-issue perpetrated by extremists in the environmental Green Party and opposes any reforms to resolve it. True or False

Answer 14

False

Question 15

When a German chancellor forms a government by selecting a cabinet, he/she will purposely appoint weak personalities to limit the cabinet minister’s power. True or False

Answer 15

False

Question 16

To assure greater democracy and openness in the German government system, cabinet ministers are allowed to openly challenge the government’s position on policy matters. True or False

Answer 16

False

Question 17

In Germany, the government bureaucracy is very powerful with civil servants protected from outside abuse and lifetime employment. True or False

Answer 17

True

Question 18

Under Germany’s distinctive form of federalism, the states administer most policies, even those determined at the national level. True or False

Answer 18

True

Question 19

The modern German bureaucracy enjoys high, if grudging, respect from the population and its civil servants are politically neutral. True or False

Answer 19

True

Question 20

The majority of German civil servants are selected based on networking and connections with nepotism playing a key role. True or False

Answer 20

False

Question 21

The 1949 proto-constitution of the Federal Republic, which continues to function
Today: a) the Declaration of Government, b) the Legal Framework, c) the Governmental Legitimacy Document, d) the Basic Law.

Answer 21

d) the Basic Law.

Question 22

This measure requires the Bundestag to have a new chancellor in place before ousting the current one: a) productive vote of no assurances, b) constructive vote of no confidence, c) legitimacy vote of no government, d) accountability of no majority.

Answer 22

b) constructive vote of no confidence

Question 23

The executive or head of government in the German government system and head of the leading party in the Bundestag: a) the president, b) the prime minister, c) the chancellor, d) the speaker of the lower house.

Answer 23

c) the chancellor

Question 24

The upper house of Germany is represented by sixteen states that exercise: a) very little power, b) only power at the state and regional level, c) considerable powers, d) the limited powers of the House of Lords in the British system.

Answer 24

c) considerable powers

Question 25

If a parliamentary crisis were to arise in Germany where no candidate could command the support of an absolute majority of Bundestag members, the following could authorize a chancellor to be elected by a plurality of deputies or could call new parliamentary elections: a) the existing prime minister prior to the election, b) the president, c) the Supreme Court, d) the sixteen Lander legislatures.

Answer 25

b) the president

Question 26

The chancellor in Germany is elected by: a) the people via a direct election, b) the majority party or majority coalition in the Bundestag, c) members of both lower and upper house of the legislature, d) members of the upper house and the support of the Lander legislatures.

Answer 26

b) the majority party or majority coalition in the Bundestag

Question 27

This office is the first among equals of all the cabinet ministries, a kind of superministry that allows the chancellor to more effectively oversee the government: a) the judiciary, b) the federal chancellory, c) the finance ministry, d) the military.

Answer 27

b) the federal chancellory

Question 28

In the German system of government the interval between parliamentary elections occurs every: a) four years, b) five years, c) 6 years, d) only when a vote of “no confidence” occurs.

Answer 28

a) four years

Question 29

The Bundesrat (upper house) must ratify all legislation passed by the Bundestag (lower house), unless overridden by a: a) majority vote, b) two-thirds vote, c) three-fourths vote, d) four-fifths vote.

Answer 29

b) two-thirds vote

Question 30

By far, what has been the most defining issue of Merkel’s second term as chancellor? a) immigration reform, b) curtailment of the social safety net, c) removal of German peacekeepers in Afghanistan, d) her approach to the economic crisis.

Answer 30

d) her approach to the economic crisis.

Question 31

What percent of civil servants are employed by the federal government? a) 25 percent, b) 39 percent, c) 72 percent, d) 93 percent.

Answer 31

a) 25 percent

Question 32

What percent of the Bundestag members are comprised of civil servants, including many teachers? a) 10 percent, b) 25 percent, c) 33 percent, d) 41 percent.

Answer 32

c) 33 percent,

Question 33

What were the two fundamental institutional weaknesses undermined the Weimar government? a) the political ______ system’s fragmentation prevented stable majorities from forming in the _________, b) and the president’s right to exercise __________ _______ made it possible to arbitrarily ___________ authority and suspend ___________ rights.

Answer 33

a) party, Reichstag | b) emergency powers, centralize, democratic

Question 34

After World War II, what was used to minimize the risk of extremism and abuse of executive power in the FRG? a) ___________ and a weak ___________ to curb the risk of arbitrary power b) and by reforming __________ procedures to curb ____________.

Answer 34

a) federalism, presidency | b) electoral, instability

Question 35

The German president: a) is elected by the Federal ___________, an ___________ _________ of all the __________ members b) and an equal number of delegates elected by ______ ____________. c) term of office is for _____ years with most presidents serving only ____ term.

Answer 35

a) Convention, electoral college, Bundestag b) state legislatures c) five, one

Question 36

The German chancellor a) determines the overall direction of ___________, b) names his or her ________ ministers, usually in coordination with the __________ partner, c) and can, within limits, reorganize the number and type of ___________.

Answer 36

a) government b) cabinet, coalition c) ministries