GOVERNANCE AND POLICY-MAKING Flashcards
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
True
When reunification came to Germany forty years later a new governing document was adopted, scrapping the old one. True or False
False
The provisions for federalism and divided powers in Germany tend to keep policy change slow and incremental. True or False
True
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
True
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
True
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
False
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
False
Since the birth of the Federal Republic some 60 years ago, there have been several woman presidents. True or False
False
German presidents are usually senior politicians who are moderates within their parties and broadly acceptable to the electorate. True or False
True
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
True
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
True
A German chancellor cannot be removed unless the Bundestag simultaneously elects a new chancellor usually from an opposition party. True or False
True
German Chancellor Merkel opposed Turkish membership in the EU and suggested that “multiculturalism” was a poor model for German society. True or False
True
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
False
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
False
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
False
In Germany, the government bureaucracy is very powerful with civil servants protected from outside abuse and lifetime employment. True or False
True
Under Germany’s distinctive form of federalism, the states administer most policies, even those determined at the national level. True or False
True
The modern German bureaucracy enjoys high, if grudging, respect from the population and its civil servants are politically neutral. True or False
True
The majority of German civil servants are selected based on networking and connections with nepotism playing a key role. True or False
False
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.
d) the Basic Law.
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.
b) constructive vote of no confidence
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.
c) the chancellor
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.
c) considerable powers
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.
b) the president
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.
b) the majority party or majority coalition in the Bundestag
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.
b) the federal chancellory
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.
a) four years
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.
b) two-thirds vote
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.
d) her approach to the economic crisis.
What percent of civil servants are employed by the federal government? a) 25 percent, b) 39 percent, c) 72 percent, d) 93 percent.
a) 25 percent
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.
c) 33 percent,
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.
a) party, Reichstag
b) emergency powers, centralize, democratic
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 \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
a) federalism, presidency
b) electoral, instability
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.
a) Convention, electoral college, Bundestag
b) state legislatures
c) five, one
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 \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
a) government
b) cabinet, coalition
c) ministries
