German Political System
The German governance system is broken up into three levels of government.
The Communes
This is the first level of governance in Germany. It is the least populated branch and has the mandate of taking care of villages. They are also in charge of handling small cities. To be elected to this branch of government, aspiring candidates are required to face an election every four to six years. The “Bundesland” is described as where the commune is. In different states such as Bavaria, the locals choose their leadership every six years. These officials run the communes and make decisions on tasks such as planning building projects, fire prevention and sewage disposal. These basic service delivery positions help maintain the community’s state.
Federal State Governments
The Federal government is broken up into 16 “Bundesländer”. These divisions of the German political system are organized as parliamentary republics. Each level of governance is run by its constitution. Different names refer to these German laws, and their administrations are created with a head of government and a specific number of ministers. The Federal States in Germany are not considered cities. These areas have a head of state known as “Ministerpräsidenten”. The Federal representatives are elected every five years. This legislative group of officials is known as the “Landesparlament”. The citizenry directly votes for them without any proportional representatives gaining seats. The German Federal government is responsible for the administration and German law-making processes.
National Government Level
Germany’s highest branch of government is the national level, separated into three powers. Decision-making happens through a fusion of the country’s legislative, executive and judicial powers. Their primary responsibility is to provide checks and balances for one another. The German Parliament is known as the “Bundestag”. This section of government is required to handle legislative affairs. It represents the centre of the German political system nationally, with over 630 members elected every four years. The critical difference is that a party must get around 5% of the total vote to make it into the legislative branch. This rule helps to ensure that decisions pass quickly and there are not numerous parties in the chamber. This part of the German government handles the budget and decision-making.
The highest office in the land is known as the “Bundesregierung”. This office is led by the “Bundeskanzler”, also known as the Chancellor. This office and ministers are responsible for prescribing the main features of German politics. The Chancellor’s ministers are accountable for running all federal ministries.
British Political System
The political system employed in Britain is very different from the one used in Germany. The British system is known as a constitutional monarchy. The system has been around since the country’s formation and is based on having a “King in Parliament“. This system has evolved throughout the ages; currently, the King/Queen only has ceremonial responsibilities. All decisions come through Parliament. The U.K. doesn’t employ a written constitution. The nation uses historical cases to make judgements and decisions. This method implies that there is no single document to regulate their politics.
House of Commons
The British Parliament is broken into two chambers and the Monarch. The biggest chamber is known as the “House of Commons”. This law-making body is comprised of 650 delegates. Each delegate comes from a district in the United Kingdom. Citizens elect one representative per district. To promote a fusion of powers, the Prime Minister and leader of the opposition are required to sit in sessions of this chamber.
House of Lords
The second chamber is referred to as the “House of Lords”. This law-making body has 810 officials. The Lords appointed to this chamber are subject experts who provide expertise to the lawmakers. The prime minister often nominates these. Before 2000, Lords could pass their position in Parliament down to family members. After significant reforms to these chambers, the House of Lords now serves to examine any laws passed on by the House of Commons.
All parliamentary powers are vested in the two main political parties in Parliament. The “Conservative party” and the “Labour” party have been the two biggest parties in Parliament for the past 90 years. The voting system employed in the U.K. is set up to allow one party to get an outright majority. The Monarch of the U.K. has three fundamental rights. The Queen has the right to be heard, the right to hand out advice and the right to warn.
Main Differences between U.K. and German Political Systems
- The German system is a parliamentary democracy, but the British political system is a constitutional monarchy.
- The German parliamentary democracy functions with a cabinet made up of elected officials.
- The German political system gives more power to the citizens, whilst the British citizens have no ability to choose their Monarch. The leadership of the Monarch who receives the title of king or Queen is handed to the next generation in the United Kingdom.
- The British constitutional monarchy means a constitution does not restrict the head of state. This system has its political centre in a parliamentary democracy; however, only Parliament is responsible for legislation.
- The German political system is segmented into many political parties; however, the United Kingdom is mainly dominated by two political parties.