Political Culture
On the System Level
Government legitimacy in the eyes of most German citizens is relatively high. Because of the direct elections for members of the Federal Diet and the president, they feel that the political system does receive input from the people. Like other citizens of democratic nations, they are inclined to adhere to laws that are created by those they elect. The proportional representative method of election in the Federal Diet contributes to the general feeling that all voices are heard - even those of minority parties like the Greens. Most Germans have some measure of confidence in their chancellor because of the absolute majority in the Federal Convention required to elect him or her, although the people themselves do not vote for him or her. Lastly, Germans have a long political tradition. Though interrupted by periods of division, for example the partitioning of Germany into four military occupation zones following World War II, the nation of Germany has existed since 1814. The transition system from East and West Germany to a united Germany completed in 1990 was mostly effective because of the careful provisions included in Basic Law to ensure political stability and thus legitimacy. National pride, paradoxically, is very low in Germany (especially western Germany). People are wary of overtly nationalist sentiments due to a history of excessive, and even violent, nationalism.
On the Process Level
Most German citizens fall into the subject role, with a rapidly growing minority of participants and a small number of parochials. As discussed above with regards to legitimacy, almost all Germans are aware of the political system and willing to adhere to its decisions. However, they do not necessarily participate in politics by running for office or protesting, for example. They almost always vote to express their expectations for the government (the voter turnout rate is around 80%) but they rarely get more actively involved. Though Germans have so far tended to be politically detached, one can observe a clear positive trend in participant numbers.
On the Policy Level
Generally, the political culture of present day Germany is perceived as pro-“big government”. In other words, Germans value social welfare and accept, however reluctantly, government intervention to maintain it, which may be a vestige of the reign of communism in eastern Germany. Germans highly respect the rule of law, seeing it as one of the most important aspects of government; they are strongly opposed to personal relationships affecting government operations. German culture is distinctively consensual, which sets it apart from other industrialized democracies like the USA or France. This is reflected in its multiparty system with active conservative, social democratic, and liberal/socialist forces, as well as proportional representation in legislative bodies. Coalition governments act on both the federal and state level. Germans do not want even the chancellor to hold absolute power; instead, the power is spread among political parties, among the 16 states, and among the three branches of government. This is perhaps a legacy of fascism and the Nazi regimes, and a reaction against decades of extremism. On the other hand, Germany’s consensual political culture often leads to political gridlocks where laws cannot be passed without consensus. Though the culture focuses on consensus, and is comparatively homogenous, there are still active subcultures. For example, Protestants, Catholics and the nonreligious tend to have different political and ideological views.
Banner image by Tjuel on Flickr
Government legitimacy in the eyes of most German citizens is relatively high. Because of the direct elections for members of the Federal Diet and the president, they feel that the political system does receive input from the people. Like other citizens of democratic nations, they are inclined to adhere to laws that are created by those they elect. The proportional representative method of election in the Federal Diet contributes to the general feeling that all voices are heard - even those of minority parties like the Greens. Most Germans have some measure of confidence in their chancellor because of the absolute majority in the Federal Convention required to elect him or her, although the people themselves do not vote for him or her. Lastly, Germans have a long political tradition. Though interrupted by periods of division, for example the partitioning of Germany into four military occupation zones following World War II, the nation of Germany has existed since 1814. The transition system from East and West Germany to a united Germany completed in 1990 was mostly effective because of the careful provisions included in Basic Law to ensure political stability and thus legitimacy. National pride, paradoxically, is very low in Germany (especially western Germany). People are wary of overtly nationalist sentiments due to a history of excessive, and even violent, nationalism.
On the Process Level
Most German citizens fall into the subject role, with a rapidly growing minority of participants and a small number of parochials. As discussed above with regards to legitimacy, almost all Germans are aware of the political system and willing to adhere to its decisions. However, they do not necessarily participate in politics by running for office or protesting, for example. They almost always vote to express their expectations for the government (the voter turnout rate is around 80%) but they rarely get more actively involved. Though Germans have so far tended to be politically detached, one can observe a clear positive trend in participant numbers.
On the Policy Level
Generally, the political culture of present day Germany is perceived as pro-“big government”. In other words, Germans value social welfare and accept, however reluctantly, government intervention to maintain it, which may be a vestige of the reign of communism in eastern Germany. Germans highly respect the rule of law, seeing it as one of the most important aspects of government; they are strongly opposed to personal relationships affecting government operations. German culture is distinctively consensual, which sets it apart from other industrialized democracies like the USA or France. This is reflected in its multiparty system with active conservative, social democratic, and liberal/socialist forces, as well as proportional representation in legislative bodies. Coalition governments act on both the federal and state level. Germans do not want even the chancellor to hold absolute power; instead, the power is spread among political parties, among the 16 states, and among the three branches of government. This is perhaps a legacy of fascism and the Nazi regimes, and a reaction against decades of extremism. On the other hand, Germany’s consensual political culture often leads to political gridlocks where laws cannot be passed without consensus. Though the culture focuses on consensus, and is comparatively homogenous, there are still active subcultures. For example, Protestants, Catholics and the nonreligious tend to have different political and ideological views.
Banner image by Tjuel on Flickr