Government + The Weimar Constitution Flashcards
Who do the Germany people elect?
The Parliament (Reichstag) and the President
Who is the Chancellor chosen by?
The President and the Parliament (Reichstag)
How often was the President elected and by who?
Every 7 years by men and women over the age of 20
What were the 3 main powers of the President?
• Supreme commander of the armed forces
• Appointed and dismissed ministers and could dissolve the Reichstag and call new elections
• Had reserved powers in an emergency to rule by decree without Reichstag’s consent (Article 48)
How much of the Reichstag did the Chancellor have to have the support of?
At least half
What did the Chancellor do with the Reichstag?
Propose new laws
How often were the Reichstag elected and by who?
Elected every 4 years by men and women over 20, using proportional representation
Who were responsible to the Reichstag?
The Chancellor and ministers
What did new laws have to have in order to pass in the Reichstag?
Originate in the Reichstag and have approval of a moajority of Reichstag deputies
What could Germany people vote for?
• Local state authority every 4 years (Reichstag)
• President every 7 years
• Occassionally on important issues
What 3 freedoms were German people guaranteed?
Speech, conscience and travel
What two guaranteed rights were the German people given?
• Right to work and employees were given equal rights with employers to determine working conditions and wages
• Right to belong to trade unions, political parties and other forms of organisations
What was the Reichstrat?
The second chamber of the German parliament, made up of 67 representatives from the seperate 17 states (Länder)
Each state was represented to its population in the Reichstrat but no more than what percent of the seats and why?
No more than 40% of the seats to prevent domination by the largest state Prussia
What could the Reichstrat do?
Could provide advice on laws but could be overridden by the Reichstag
There was a supreme court, independant from who?
The Reichstag and President
The Republic had a federal system, what was it?
There were seperate state governments in the 17 Länder which kept control over their own internal affairs
When waz the election of the National Assembly who woulf write a constitution for the new republic?
January 1919
What are the three branches of the government, which would be elected and which appointed?
Executive, legislative and judical
Executive and legislative elected by the people
Judical appointed
What percentage of a vote did a party need to get a deputy?
1% - the more votes the more deputies
Who decided who the representatives would be of a party?
The party officials, not the voters
In the 14 years between 1919 and 1933, the Weimar Republic had how many different legislatures?
20
What is a constiteunt assembly?
A body or assembly of popular elected representatives which is assembled for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution or similar document then being disbanded after
What is a constitution?
Fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of an organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed
