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
Objectives and Themes
This comparative study examines the historical development and institutions of Germany and the United States, asking how parliamentary and presidential systems differ in their advantages, disadvantages and opportunities for citizens to influence politics.
- Historical development of the two governmental systems
- Federal institutions and the separation of powers
- Electoral rules and political representation
- German multiparty and American two-party politics
- Executive authority and citizen influence
Excerpt from the Book
4 Comparison: Similarities and Differences
After describing the individual governmental systems of Germany and the United States of America in the previous section, the following section will examine the differences between and similarities of the German and the American governmental system. The biggest difference between the two systems is the fact, that the German system is organized as a parliamentary democracy, while the American system is organized as a presidential democracy. Parliamentary democracy means that the citizens elect a parliament which then forms the government and therefore gives the citizens a lot of influence on the politics in their country. A presidential democracy means that the president is directly or indirectly elected by the citizens, serves as the head of government and the head of state and is the political centre of the executive branch.
The German legislative branch on the national level is divided into the “Bundestag” and the “Bundesrat”. Moreover, the “Bundestag” is elected by the citizens on the national level, but the “Bundesrat” consists of members of the state governments. The American legislative branch is divided in two institutions as well. It consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives and both institutions are directly elected by the citizens on a national level. The difference between the German parliament and the US Congress is that the German executive branch is made up of members of the German parliament where the US executive branch is independent from the US Congress.
Furthermore, in the USA there are only two big parties, the “Republican Party” and the “Democratic Party”. In Germany there are many more important parties. Some examples are “Bündnis 90/Die Grünen“, “CDU“, “SPD“, “Die Linke“ and a relatively new party “Die Alternative für Deutschland“.
Germany is divided into sixteen federal states. They are called “Bundesländer” and all of them have their own government, which is, for example, responsible for the police and public education. In the USA, there are 50 federal states with individual state governments as well.
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: The author presents the thesis, motivation and research question, and describes the use of books, newspaper articles and online sources.
2 The governmental system of Germany: This chapter traces postwar political development and describes German federal institutions, elections and political parties.
3 The governmental system of the United States of America: This chapter reviews American political history and explains the federal branches of government, electoral arrangements and party system.
5 Conclusion: The author weighs the two systems’ advantages and disadvantages and considers possible lessons each country might draw from the other.
Keywords
comparative government, Germany, United States, political history, parliamentary democracy, presidential democracy, federalism, separation of powers, electoral systems, proportional representation, Electoral College, political parties, citizen representation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work about?
It compares the governmental systems of Germany and the United States and their historical development.
What are its central themes?
The study considers political institutions, federalism, elections, political parties, executive power and citizen representation.
What is the main research question?
It asks how presidential and parliamentary systems compare in their advantages, disadvantages and opportunities for citizens to influence politics.
What research method does the author use?
The author uses a comparative analysis based on books, newspaper articles and online sources.
What does the main discussion cover?
It describes each country’s historical development and institutions before comparing their branches of government, elections and parties.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include parliamentary democracy, presidential democracy, federalism, electoral systems, political parties and representation.
How are German and American electoral systems examined?
The author discusses Germany’s personalized proportional representation alongside US presidential elections and the Electoral College.
How does the work compare political parties?
It contrasts Germany’s multiparty system with the dominance of the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States.
Which historical periods receive attention?
The German discussion begins with the postwar occupation, while the American account begins with European colonization and the formation of the United States.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 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
