Politics and democracy

C. Die Wählerin / der Wähler darf bei der Wahl weder beeinflusst noch zu einer bestimmten Stimmabgabe gezwungen werden und keine Nachteile durch die Wahl haben.

Voters must neither be influenced nor forced to cast a particular vote, and they must not suffer any disadvantages because of their vote.

Free elections mean that no one may be forced to make a particular electoral choice. Voters should be able to decide for themselves without pressure and without disadvantages.

D. alle Abgeordneten, die nicht zu der Regierungspartei / den Regierungsparteien gehören.

all members of parliament who do not belong to the governing party or governing parties.

The opposition consists of the members of parliament and parties that do not support the government. They scrutinize the government and represent different political positions.

D. verfassungswidrig.

unconstitutional.

A party that seeks to establish a dictatorship and abolish the democratic order acts against the constitution. Such an aim is therefore considered unconstitutional.

C. das wahlberechtigte Volk

the electorate

The members of the German Bundestag are elected by eligible voters. Through elections, citizens decide who represents them in the Bundestag.

B. Pressezensur

press censorship

Press censorship is not a feature of a democracy. Freedom of expression, different political parties, and regular elections are, by contrast, features of a democracy.

B. Koalition.

coalition.

When several parties jointly form or support a government, this cooperation is called a coalition. The participating parties agree on common political goals.

A. weil dadurch die unterschiedlichen Meinungen der Bürgerinnen und Bürger vertreten werden

because this allows the different opinions of citizens to be represented

In a democracy, there are different political parties so that different political opinions can be represented. Citizens can therefore choose between different political options.

B. wenn sie gegen die Verfassung kämpft

if it fights against the constitution

A political party can be banned if it fights against the constitutional democratic order. Criticism of political figures or new political proposals alone are not grounds for banning a party.

B. Die Bundespräsidentin / den Bundespräsidenten

the Federal President

The Federal President is not elected directly by the citizens. The election is carried out by the Federal Convention.

D. eine Abgeordnete / ein Abgeordneter der stärksten Fraktion

a member of parliament from the largest parliamentary group

Usually, a member of parliament from the largest parliamentary group is elected President of the Bundestag. This office presides over Bundestag sessions.

B. die Bundespräsidentin / der Bundespräsident

the Federal President

The federal ministers are appointed by the Federal President. The appointment is based on the proposal of the Federal Chancellor.

D. Sie / Er schlägt die Kanzlerin / den Kanzler zur Wahl vor.

He / She proposes the Chancellor for election.

The Federal President proposes a candidate to the Bundestag for the office of Federal Chancellor. This person is then elected by the Bundestag.

D. Friedrich Merz

Friedrich Merz

According to the present question catalog, the current Federal Chancellor is Friedrich Merz. This question refers to the current officeholder in the dataset being used.

A. CDU/CSU und AfD.

CDU/CSU and AfD.

According to the present question catalog, CDU/CSU and AfD are currently the two largest parliamentary groups in the German Bundestag. A parliamentary group is a group of members of parliament who work together politically.

A. Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Frank-Walter Steinmeier

According to the present question catalog, Frank-Walter Steinmeier is Germany's head of state. The head of state is the Federal President.

D. Christlich Demokratische Union

Christian Democratic Union

CDU stands for Christian Democratic Union. It is a political party in Germany.

C. Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands

Social Democratic Party of Germany

SPD stands for Social Democratic Party of Germany. It is a political party in Germany.

D. Freie Demokratische Partei

Free Democratic Party

FDP stands for Free Democratic Party. It is a political party in Germany.

D. der Bundestag

the Bundestag

The Federal Chancellor is elected by the German Bundestag. The people therefore do not elect this person directly.

D. die Bundeskanzlerin / der Bundeskanzler

the Federal Chancellor

The federal cabinet is headed by the Federal Chancellor. The cabinet includes the federal ministers.

C. der Bundestag

the Bundestag

The Federal Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag. The members of parliament vote on the proposed person.

C. repräsentiert das Land.

represents the country.

The main duty of the Federal President is to represent Germany. The office primarily has state and representative functions.

A. die Bundesversammlung

the Federal Convention

The Federal President is elected by the Federal Convention. This special body meets only for this purpose.

B. die Bundespräsidentin / der Bundespräsident

the Federal President

Germany's head of state is the Federal President. This office is distinct from that of the Federal Chancellor.

A. kontrolliert die Regierung.

monitors the government.

An important task of the opposition is to monitor the government. Opposition parties examine, criticize, and question the work of the governing majority.

C. Fraktion

parliamentary group

A group of members of parliament from the same party or from closely allied parties is called a parliamentary group. Parliamentary groups organize their joint parliamentary work.

D. Christlich Soziale Union

Christian Social Union

CSU stands for Christian Social Union. It is a political party that is mainly active in Bavaria.

D. mehr Sitze erhält die Partei im Parlament.

more seats the party receives in parliament.

The second vote is particularly important for the distribution of seats in the Bundestag. In principle, the more second votes a party receives, the larger its share of seats.

B. 18

18

In Germany, a person may vote in a Bundestag election from the age of 18. They must also meet the other legal requirements for voting.

B. kann die Regierung ihre Mehrheit verlieren.

the government can lose its majority.

If members switch parliamentary groups, the balance of majorities in the Bundestag can change. In an extreme case, this can cause a government to lose its parliamentary majority.

B. von SPD, FDP und Bündnis 90/Die Grünen in einer Regierung

between the SPD, FDP, and Alliance 90/The Greens in a government

A traffic light coalition refers to cooperation between the SPD, FDP, and Alliance 90/The Greens. The name comes from the party colors red, yellow, and green, like a traffic light.

D. Sie zählen die Stimmen nach dem Ende der Wahl.

They count the votes after the election has ended.

Election workers help ensure that an election is conducted correctly. After the election ends, one of their tasks is to count the votes cast.

D. Sie zählen die Stimmen nach dem Ende der Wahl.

They count the votes after the election has ended.

Election workers voluntarily support the conduct of the election. An important task is counting the votes after the polling stations close.

B. 4 Jahre

4 years

The German Bundestag is generally elected for four years. After that, a new federal election normally takes place.

B. Bürgerin/Bürger der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist und mindestens 18 Jahre alt ist.

is a citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany and is at least 18 years old.

In a federal election, German citizens may vote if they have reached the legal voting age. For federal elections, this age is 18.

B. alle vier Jahre

every four years

Federal elections normally take place every four years. In special political situations, an early election may also take place.

C. 4 Jahre

4 years

The legislative term of the German Bundestag is generally four years. During this time, the elected members work in parliament.

B. geheim.

secret.

Elections in Germany are secret. No one has to say or show which party or person they voted for.

A. die meisten Stimmen bekommt.

receives the most votes.

In elections, what matters is how many votes the parties receive. The votes of the electorate determine the strength of the parties in parliament.

B. ein Recht.

a right.

Participating in elections is a right in Germany. No one is required to vote.

C. Man kann wählen.

You can vote.

Active voting rights mean that a person is allowed to vote themselves. This is distinct from passive voting rights, which means the right to be elected.

D. aktives Wahlrecht.

active voting right.

Anyone who is allowed to cast a vote in an election has active voting rights. This simply means: you are allowed to vote.

C. 5%

5%

As a general rule, the five-percent threshold applies to entry into the Bundestag. Parties therefore generally need to receive at least five percent of the second votes.

C. Jede Person kann ohne Zwang entscheiden, ob sie wählen möchte und wen sie wählen möchte.

Every person can decide without coercion whether they want to vote and whom they want to vote for.

Free elections mean that every person can decide without pressure or coercion whether and whom they vote for. No one may be forced to make a particular electoral choice.

C. Mehrheits- und Verhältniswahlrecht.

mixed majority and proportional representation system.

The German electoral system combines elements of majority voting and proportional representation. As a result, both direct candidates and votes for parties play a role.

A. 5%-Hürde.

the 5% threshold.

The five-percent threshold is a minimum requirement for parties. As a general rule, they must receive enough votes to enter the Bundestag.

A. frei, gleich, geheim.

free, equal, secret.

Elections in Germany must be free, equal, and secret. These principles are intended to ensure fair and democratic elections.

C. Mindestanteil an Wählerstimmen, um ins Parlament zu kommen

the minimum share of votes required to enter parliament

The five-percent threshold refers to the minimum share of votes that a party generally needs to enter a parliament.

C. des Parlaments für Deutschland.

of Germany's federal parliament.

In the federal election, citizens elect the German Bundestag. The Bundestag is the parliament at the federal level.

B. nach dem Willen der Wählermehrheit den Wechsel der Regierung zu ermöglichen.

to make a change of government possible according to the will of the majority of voters.

Regular elections make peaceful political change possible. If majorities change, this can also lead to a different government.

A. eine Wahlbenachrichtigung von der Gemeinde

an election notification from the municipality

Before an election, eligible voters normally receive an election notification from their municipality. It contains important information such as the polling station and the election date.

C. viele kleine Parteien die Regierungsbildung erschweren.

many small parties make it more difficult to form a government.

The five-percent threshold is intended to prevent the Bundestag from becoming highly fragmented by a large number of small parties. Excessive fragmentation can make it more difficult to form stable majorities.

A. Abgeordnete.

members of parliament.

Elected members of a parliament are called members of parliament. They represent the citizens in parliament.

C. der Bundestag.

the Bundestag.

In the federal election, citizens directly elect the Bundestag. The Federal Chancellor and the Federal President are not directly elected by the people.

A. 1

1

A ballot paper is valid only if the marks are clearly made in accordance with the election rules. In the illustrated example, ballot paper 1 shows a valid vote.

B. Man kann durch Briefwahl seine Stimme abgeben.

You can cast your vote by postal ballot.

Postal voting is allowed in federal and state parliament elections. This allows people to cast their vote even if they cannot go to the polling station on election day.

A. der Bundesadler

the Federal Eagle

The Federal Eagle can be seen in the plenary chamber of the German Bundestag. It is an important state symbol of the Federal Republic of Germany.