With the presidential elections in the United States of America just behind us and the “Bundestagswahl” in Germany just ahead of us, the controversies and challenges surrounding both elections warrant a closer look at the similarities and differences of the governmental systems of both countries to gain insights into the future of German and U.S. politics.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Thesis Statement
1.2 Motivation
1.3 Methodology
2 The governmental system of Germany
2.1 The historical development of the governmental system of Germany
2.2 The political system of Germany
2.2.1 The electoral system of Germany
2.2.2 The party system of Germany
3 The governmental system of the United States of America
3.1 The historical development of the governmental system of the United States of America
3.2 The political system of the United States of America
3.2.1 The electoral system of the United States of America
3.2.2 The party system of the United States of America
5 Conclusion
6 Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
This work aims to compare the governmental systems of Germany and the United States, analyzing their historical foundations, political structures, electoral processes, and party landscapes to determine the advantages and disadvantages of parliamentary and presidential democracies.
- Historical evolution of German and U.S. governmental systems
- Structural differences between parliamentary and presidential systems
- Comparative analysis of electoral laws and party systems
- Evaluation of political representation and influence of citizens
Excerpt from the Book
3.2.2 The party system of the United States of America
Because of the fact that there are only two parties in the United States who receive enough votes to establish a government, it is a two-party system. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party have been in power for 150 years. The Democrats, which were founded in 1828, are a liberal party that represents the working class and pick up topics like civil liberties. The Republicans, which were founded in 1854, are a conservative party and campaign for topics like tax reduction, or a strong army. Despite the dominance of these two parties, there are some other parties like the Green Party, the Constitution Party, and the Libertarian Party.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the motivation and methodology, highlighting the relevance of comparing the German and American systems following recent and upcoming elections.
2 The governmental system of Germany: Details the historical development of the BRD and the structure of the German political system, including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
2.1 The historical development of the governmental system of Germany: Outlines the post-WWII occupation, the founding of the BRD, and its developmental periods through to reunification.
2.2 The political system of Germany: Examines the three levels of government and the role of the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
2.2.1 The electoral system of Germany: Explains the personal proportional representation model and the functioning of the five-percent hurdle.
2.2.2 The party system of Germany: Describes the multi-party landscape in Germany and the key political parties represented in the Bundestag.
3 The governmental system of the United States of America: Discusses the foundation of the U.S. governmental system within the framework of the Constitution and its three branches of power.
3.1 The historical development of the governmental system of the United States of America: Covers the colonial era, the American Revolutionary War, and the development of the U.S. Constitution.
3.2 The political system of the United States of America: Explains the presidential democracy and the system of checks and balances involving Congress and the Supreme Court.
3.2.1 The electoral system of the United States of America: Analyzes the indirect presidential election process and the winner-takes-all principle.
3.2.2 The party system of the United States of America: Explores the two-party system dominance of the Democrats and Republicans.
5 Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, noting that while the systems have shared legislative and judicial similarities, they differ significantly in executive power, suggesting potential mutual learning.
6 Bibliography: Contains an extensive list of sources, books, and internet articles used throughout the research.
Keywords
Germany, United States of America, Government, Constitution, Democracy, Bundestag, Presidential system, Parliamentary system, Elections, Political parties, Historical development, Checks and balances, Legislation, Executive branch, Judicial branch
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work provides a comparative analysis of the governmental systems of Germany and the United States, examining how their unique histories have shaped their contemporary political structures.
What are the central thematic fields?
The core fields include the historical development of both states, the structure of their legislative and executive branches, electoral processes, and the influence of party systems on governance.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of presidential and parliamentary systems to determine how each structure impacts the political influence of its citizens.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The research relies on literature-based analysis, utilizing books, academic sources, and newspaper articles to conduct a qualitative comparison of the two political models.
What is covered in the main part of the text?
The main part details the political institutions, constitutional foundations, electoral laws, and historical milestones for both Germany and the U.S. individually, followed by a direct comparative chapter.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
Key terms include governmental system, democracy, constitution, legislative branch, presidential democracy, and parliamentary democracy.
How does the German electoral system differ from the American one?
Germany utilizes a personal proportional representation model with a five-percent hurdle, while the U.S. uses a majority-based winner-takes-all system for its presidential elections.
What is the role of the system of "checks and balances" in the U.S.?
It is designed to ensure that no single political institution, such as the Presidency or Congress, gains excessive power by forcing the branches to monitor each other.
How does the executive power differ between the two countries?
In the U.S., the President serves as both head of state and head of government. In Germany, these roles are functionally divided, and the Chancellor relies on parliamentary support.
- Citation du texte
- Anonym (Auteur), 2017, A Comparative Analysis of the Governments of the United States of America and Germany and their Historical Development, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/386600
