Parties And Elections In Germany

The study of German electoral politics has been neglected of late, despite being one of the most pervasive elements of the German political process. Geoffrey Roberts exciting new book argues that concentration on electoral politics facilitates deeper understanding and appreciation of German political system. It provides explanations and analysis of the federal electoral system, its evolution and the challenges which have been made to its format; discusses the role of electoral politics in relation to political parties It goes on to evaluate the effectiveness of the German electoral system in relation to its functions, and challenges the premise that electoral politics makes a difference in Germany. Ultimately the book aims to reconcile the apparently limited role which elections have in determining the composition of governments with the notion that there is a "permanent election campaign" in existence in German politics.

This comprehensive text provides a detailed overview of the party system and politics of one of the most powerful states in the international arena. Noted scholar Gerard Braunthal surveys the parties in the Federal Republic of Germany and in the German Democratic Republic after World War II and in united Germany since 1990. By illustrating the cent

This title was first published in 2003. This precise and well-structured book focuses on the mechanics (its evolution and the debates it generates) of the German electoral system. Briefly outlining the past German electoral systems and the influence they exerted on the political systems of the time, it differs from existing literature by being the first volume in the English language which gives in-depth treatment to local and regional electoral systems in Germany, as well as the federal system. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of German electoral systems and their role and contribution within the party and political systems, it is particularly relevant at a time when other European countries' electoral systems are under review. Students and academics concerned with German politics in particular and German or European studies more generally, will find this book valuable.

Historical essays on German mass politics, from novel and sometimes surprising viewpoints.

The election of 2005 changed Germany’s political ‘landscape’. The combined share of the vote gained by the two major parties fell below 70 per cent, eliminating the option of a coalition between one of the two major parties (Christian Democrats and Social Democrats) with one of the smaller parties – the traditional pattern of government that had dominated German post-war politics since the late 1950s. The election resulted in the first national ‘Grand Coalition’ of the two major parties since 1969. While some have seen this government, elected in November 2005 and headed by the Christian Democrat Angela Merkel, as the symptom of a crisis of the traditional post-war German party system, others have highlighted the opportunities it opens up for constitutional and policy reform as Merkel’s ‘Grand Coalition’ controls an overwhelming majority of the votes in both houses of the German legislature. The German Election of 2005 analyses the road to the 2005 election and provide in-depth studies of the campaign and candidates, of voting behaviour and immediate consequences of the election, with contributions from leading experts from Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. The findings are informed by theoretical and empirical work in the comparative study of parties and elections offering a nuanced, empirically rich picture of continuity and change in German electoral politics.

A comprehensive, accessible, and authoritative account of the party systems of modern Germany, this book covers the period from 1945 to the present.