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= Political Culture of Germany = Political Culture is the beliefs, opinions, feelings, and knowledge that citizens have about their government. In 21st century Germany, the political system of Germany has been that the government upholds a degree of social welfare. Secondly, Germany's Political System is labor corporatism, which is a system that aims for social justice and equality among its individuals. Germany has a multiparty system, which is usually contested by conservatives and social democrats. Nonetheless, smaller parties exist in Germany, however, much smaller. Some of those parties are the socialists, liberals, and green parties. Political decision making, relatively speaking, has more steps and is more spread in its government. Government power is shared between its states, which the Judicial Branch oversees. The Judicial Branch has the power to review and dismiss legislation passed by the states. In addition, Germany has a Chancellor, but is limited in power, however, they have the power to pass federal policies. Finally, Germany like many other countries has a president, known as the Federal President.

The Basic Law
The Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, or simply the German Constitution, is the fundamental legal document that governs the country. It came into effect on May 24, 1949, following the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The Basic Law was initially intended to be a temporary constitution, but it has remained in force as the country's permanent constitution. The first section of The Basic Law outlies it's duty and responsibility: “Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.” Some of the key provisions of the Basic Law include:


 * 1) Human Dignity: recognize and protect the inherent dignity of every human being as the highest priority of the state.
 * 2) Fundamental Rights: guarantee a number of fundamental rights to all individuals, including the right to free speech, freedom of religion, and the right to privacy.
 * 3) Separation of Powers: establish a separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, ensuring that no one branch can dominate the others.
 * 4) Federalism: establish a federal system of government, with powers divided between the federal government and the individual states.
 * 5) Democratic Principles: enshrine democratic principles, such as the right to vote and the principle of majority rule, as key components of the German political system.

The Basic Law has been amended several times over the years to reflect changes in German society and to address new challenges. Regardless, it still is the fundamental document that provides basis for the German political system.

Federal Chancellor
The Chancellor is the only person of the Federal Government to be elected. They are given authority to choose their ministers, who are in charge of the most critical political authorities. The Chancellor is also responsible of how many ministers are in power. They, the Chancellor, are responsible for determining the guidelines of the government's policy. The election of the Chancellor is agreed upon between all parties, which plan to govern together. In this alliance, the party that is ahead, is given the right to bring forth a Chancellor. Moreover, the parties must come to an agreement on which policies they plan to challenge for the following couple of years. In all of its history, only two attempts, which only one was successful, to remove the Chancellor have happened. This happened in 1982 when Helmut Schmidt was removed from the Chancellor position. Chancellors in Germany, with this power, can even compare to the Federal President.

Federal President
In Germany, the Federal President is the representative of the country and serves as a ceremonial figurehead and has limited executive powers. They are the ones responsible for choosing government members and judges. Some of the powers the President posses are: dissolving the government and dismissing the parliament. The Federal President of the Republic of Germany is in office for five consecutive years, and by law may be reelected once more. The Federal Convention is responsible for electing the Federal President. The elect the President by a special assembly, which is made up of members of the Bundestag (the lower house of the German federal parliament) and representatives from the 16 states of Germany.

The current President of Germany is Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was elected to the position in February 2017. Prior to his election as President, Steinmeier served as the German Foreign Minister and was a member of the Bundestag for many years.

The Bundestag & The Bundesrat
The Bundestag is the lower house of the German federal parliament. The Bundestag is made up of people elected by the German people, and has 709 seats, with each member serving a four-year term. They are Germany's parliament, and their first function is to elect a Federal Chancellor and maintain them in office by their policies. Their second function is they are responsible in passing legislation, which are passed down to them by the Federal Government. Debating does not happen often in the Bundestag main building located in Berlin, and is more about discussing proposals. Finally, the Bundestag's third function is keeping tabs on the government's laws and work. In other words, they are the public's window into the German government.

The Bundesrat, on the other hand, is the upper house of the German federal parliament. The Bundesrat is like a sister to the Bundestag, and work with them to ensure the upholding the government. The Bundesrat's members are representatives of the Federal State government, and is made up of 69 members, with each state having between three and six representatives depending on its population size. Their role is to pass federal legislation, and laws that want to be passed need to be approved by the Bundesrat. Today, nearly 50% of all laws passed were approved by the Bundesrat. In many ways, the Bundesrat is equal to the Bundestag and can be easily misunderstood for the other. A reform in 2006, has allowed to recenter the government's scope when it comes to decision making. Additionally, this allowed the central and federal governments to assign political responsibilities.

Political Culture In 2023 & Beyond
The most recent elections in Germany (2021) were a hectic time following the Covid-19 Pandemic that took the world by storm. The country has also been a leader in efforts to address global challenges such as climate change and the refugee crisis. Regardless, all representatives were respectful in their arguments and came down to common grounds, except a couple members. The Alliance 90/The Greens party has been the primary attributer due to many things, but to name a few its social tone, acceptance of a very diverse country, and a more liberal population. The federal election held on September 26, 2021, the Alliance 90/The Greens won 14.8% of the vote, making them the third-largest party in the Bundestag.

Alliance 90/The Greens, is a political party in Germany that was founded in 1980. The party following the environmental movement and has since broadened its view to also include social justice, civil liberties, and democratic reform.

Enablement is another reason for the Alliance 90/The Greens party's success. The government which came before, put many projects, viewed by the public as priority, on hold. One of those is C02 emissions and climate control. Their goal is to almost as much as triple when it comes to renewables, and on the other hand, introduce a bill that puts a price tag on C02 when it comes to sectors. This, in theory, would lower electricity bills. The Alliance 90/The Greens party places a high value on environmental protection and sustainability.

Germany is amidst a move into a new political era with a relatively new government. Some of the challenges that face the new government are:


 * 1) Environmentalism and climate change have become increasingly important issues in German politics in recent years.
 * 2) Germany is a diverse country, with a significant population of immigrants and their descendants. There has been ongoing debate and tension in German society around issues of multiculturalism, integration, and identity.

Overall, the most recent political culture in Germany reflects a commitment to social welfare, environmentalism, democracy, and human rights. While there are ongoing debates and tensions around issues of identity, immigration, and multiculturalism, the country remains a leader in Europe and a key player on the global stage.