Administrative System and Role of

Chancellors in Germany
German Second Year (Second Semester)

(Batch-2022-2023)
Group- 1

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1
Contents
Introduction Page

 Germany’s government system 3

Body

1. Bundestag and Bundesrat 4

2. When did Germany become a democracy? 6
3. Germany’s government before democracy and 6
the growth of democracy in Germany
4. When did Germany have presidential election? 7
5. Current one president’s biography 7
6. Difference between Social Democratic Party and 9
Christian Democratic Union
7. The role of chancellor in Germany 10
8. Lists of chancellors 11
9. Angela Merkel (2005-2021) 15
10. Olaf Scholz (2021) 18
11. The power and responsibilities of chancellors 20
12. What are chancellors known for? 21
13. Difference between chancellor and president 21
14. How chancellors shaped Germany into a better form 22

Conclusion

 Legislature of Germany 24

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Introduction

Germany’s government system is political system. The Federal Republic of Germany

is structured as a federal state and parliamentary democracy. The Basic Law sets down
that all state authority derives from the people. The people confer this power to the
federal and state parliaments for one legislative period. State authority is divided between
the legislative branch, the executive branch and the judicial branch, which is responsible
for the administration of justice. The separation of powers is a cone component of all
democracies and is enshrined in Germany’s constitution, the Basic Law. Parliaments
belong to the legislative branch, while governments belong to the executive branch. The
judicial branch holds a key role as judges in courts at both state and federal levels are
independent and make decisions solely based on law. The highest court in Germany is the
Federal Constitutional Court, which supervises compliance with the Basic law. All other
state authorities are bound by the divisions of the 16 constitutional judges.

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1. Bundestag and Bundesrat

The German Bundestag is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal
representative body that is directly elected by the German people, comparable to the
United States House of representatives or the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
The members of the Bundestag are representatives of the German people as a whole, are
not bound by any orders or instructions and are only accountable to their electorate. The
Bundestag is elected every four years by German citizens aged 18 or over. The Bundestag
has 598 nominal members, elected for a four-year term; these seats are distributed between
the sixteen German states in proportion to the states' population eligible to vote. Every
elector has two votes: a constituency vote (first vote) and a party list vote (second
vote). The chancellor is elected by the Bundestag and formally appointed by the president
of Germany. A chancellor's election is necessary whenever the office of Chancellor has
fallen vacant. This is the case if a newly elected Bundestag meets for the first time, or if
the chancellor dies or resigns.
The German Bundesrat is a legislative body that represents the sixteen states of
Germany at the federal level. The Bundesrat meets at the former Prussian house of Lords
in Berlin. The political makeup of the Bundesrat is affected by changes in power in the
states of Germany, and thus by elections in each state. Each state delegation in the
Bundesrat is essentially a representation of the state government and reflects the political
makeup of the ruling majority or plurality of each state legislature (including coalitions).
Thus the Bundesrat is a continuous body and has no legislative periods. On July 1, 1867,
the North German Confederation was established as a confederal state. The Reichstag,
elected by the North German men, was one legislative body. The other one was the
Bundesrat. The original Bundesrat was very powerful; every bill needed its consent,
equaling it to the popularly elected Reichstag. It could also, with the Emperor's agreement,
dissolve the Reichstag.
Difference between Bundesrat and Bundestag in Germany
The Bundestag is directly elected by the German people, while the Bundesrat
represents the governments of the regional states. The federal legislature has powers of
exclusive jurisdiction and concurrent jurisdiction with the states in areas specified in the
constitution. The Federal President is the highest-ranking representative of Germany in
terms of protocol. The second-highest ranking individual, in terms of protocol, is the

4
president of the Bundestag. The President of the Bundesrat acts as deputy to the Federal
President.

Legislative Branch of Germany

Bundestag Bundesrat

Reichstag Building (Bundestag) Bundesrat Building

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2. When did Germany become a democracy?
In 1919, German women voted for the first time-in an election that was to play a
pivotal role in the country’s history. It came on the heels of the disastrous Great War and
the year before Hitler formed the Nazi Party. ‘For the People, by the People’ declared
Social Democrat politician Philip Scheidermann on November 9, 1918, from a Reichstag
balcony in Berlin. He was proclaiming the founding of the republic if only a provisional
one at first. A vote took place two months later, on January 19,1919. In between a
caretaker government led by Friedrich Ebert, chairman of the Social Democrats (SPD),
oversaw the transition from monarchy to parliamentary democracy.

3. Germany government before democracy and the growth of democracy in Germany

Before the war, Germany was a constitutional monarchy with a Kaiser, Wilhelm II,
and a parliament elected by adult males who held the right to vote. There were two main
political themes in this period:
- Wilhelm II was determined to turn his nation into a world power. Germany built an
empire, became active in world affairs and took part in an arms race with other
European nations that would eventually lead to war.
- However, at the same time industrialization, and the social and economic problems
it brought, led to the Social Democratic Party (SPD) becoming the largest party in
the Reichstag. Before normal politics were suspended during the war, there was a
growing demand for greater democracy in Germany and reforms that would
improve the condition of Germany’s working class.
After the war, with the Kaiser removed, Germany began a bold experiment with
representative democracy. All adult Germans (women included this time) were able to
vote and the system of proportional representation meant a wide range of views were
given voice in Parliament. There was also an elected president.
However, the legacy of defeat in the war, in the shape of crippling reparation payments
and the military restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles, led to serious problems:
- In 1923 there was a hyperinflation crisis that left Germany’s currency worthless.
- In the first four years of the Weimar Republic, there were three serious attempts to
overthrow the government.
The political and economic crises of the 1920s and 1930s ensured that this new
government was always one disaster away from complete collapse.

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4. When did Germany have Presidential election?
The presidential election of 1919 was the first and only election to the office of
President of the Reich, Germany’s head of state during the 1919-1920 Weimar Republic.
Because a head of state was needed immediately, the 1919 presidential election was held
indirectly by the National Assembly on 15 March 1919 a few weeks after the
parliamentary elections. The winner was SPD chairman Friedrich Ebert, who defeated
both the DNVP candidate Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner and the KPD candidate Karl
Liebknecht.

5. Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Current President of Germany,2023)

Frank-Walter Steinmeier (born 5 January 1956) is a German politician serving as
president of Germany since 19 March 2017. He was previously federal minister of foreign
affairs from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2017, as well as vice chancellor of
Germany from 2007 to 2009. Steinmeier was chairman-in-office of the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2016.
Steinmeier is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), holds a
doctorate in law and was formerly a career civil servant. He was a close aide of Gerhard
Schröder when Schröder was Prime Minister of Lower Saxony during most of the 1990s,
and served as Schröder's chief of staff from 1996. When Schröder became Chancellor of
Germany in 1998, Steinmeier was appointed Under-Secretary of State in the German
Chancellery with the responsibility for the intelligence services. From 1999 to 2005 he
served as Chief of Staff of the Chancellery.

Following the 2005 federal election, Steinmeier became Foreign Minister in the first
grand coalition government of Agenda Merkel. In 2008, he briefly served as acting
chairman of his party. He was the SPD's candidate for chancellor in the 2009 federal
election, but his party lost the election and he left the federal cabinet to become leader of
the opposition. Following the 2013 federal election, he again became Minister for Foreign
Affairs in Merkel's second grand coalition. In November 2016 he was announced as the
candidate for President of Germany of the governing coalition, consisting of his own
party and the CDU/CSU, and thus became the presumptive electee, as the coalition held a
large majority in the Federal Convention. He left the cabinet on 27 January 2017. He
was elected president by the Federal Convention on 12 February 2017 with 74% of the

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vote. On 13 February 2022, he was reelected by the Federal Convention for a second and
final term with 78% of the vote.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier

(Current President of Germany)

National Flag of Germany

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6. Difference between social democratic party and Christian democratic party

Social democratic party

Social democratic is the name of socialist parties in several countries. The term came
to be associated with the position of the German and Swedish parties. The first advocated
revisionist Marxism, while the second advocated a comprehensive welfare state.

Christian democratic party

Christian democrat’s views include traditional moral values(on marriage, abortion,

prohibition of drugs, etc.),opposition to socialization, opposition to state atheism, a view
of the evolutionary(as opposed to revolutionary) development of society, an emphasis on
low and order, and a rejection of communism. Christian democratic parties are political
parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian
democracy movement emerged in 19th century Europe, largely under the influence of
Catholic social teaching and Neo-Calvinist theology.

The difference

Social-Democrat are center-left, though most have drifted toward that center since the
1980s. They generally support socially liberal positions on issues like gay rights and
abortion, liberal attitudes toward immigration, and historically they have been a driving
force behind the robust welfare state most of Western Europe enjoys.

Christian Democrats are more centrist, with individual politicians ranging from center-left
to center-right. While they also support the welfare state, they are more moderate in their
support than social-democrats have historically been, often favoring a more decentralized
approach to social welfare programs with municipal governments and private charities
playing a greater role. They tend to be more protectionist on immigration, and have been
a fair bit more restrained in their attitude toward changing social mores.

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7. The role of chancellor in Germany

The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the federal Republic of
Germany, is the head of the federal government of Germany, and the commander in chief
of the German Armed forces during wartime. The chancellor is the chief executive of the
federal Cabinet and heads the executive branch. The chancellor is elected by the
Bundestag on the proposal of the federal president and without debate.

The Basic law of the federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die
Bundesrepublik Deutschland) provides that the Federal Chancellor holds a strong
position. The Chancellor proposes the candidates for ministerial office, that is the
members of the Federal Cabinet, to the Federal President Ministers can be dismissed
following the same procedure. The Chancellor is also head of the Federal Cabinet and
chairs Cabinet meetings.

The Federal Chancellor determines and is responsible for the general guidelines of
government policy. This power to determine policy guidelines includes setting the
framework for government action that the individual Federal Ministers then flesh out with
content.

Within the limits of the policy guidelines set by the Federal Chancellor each Federal
Minister conducts the affairs of his or her department independently and on his or her
own responsibility. This is called the principle of ministerial autonomy.

The Federal Chancellor conducts the business of the Federal Government in

accordance with the rules of procedure adopted by the Federal Cabinet and approved by
the Federal President. The Federal Chancellor is accountable to the Bundestag as regards
government action.

Government is often formed of coalition of two or more parties so that they can attain
a majority in the Bundestag. The Federal Chancellor must abide by agreements reached
with coalition partners to avoid putting unnecessary stain on the coalition.

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8. List of Chancellors of Germany

Name(birth-death) Took Office Left Office Political Cabinet

party

North German Confederation (1867-1871)

Otto von Bismarck 1 July 1867 21 March Non-partisan

(1815-1898) 1871

German Reich (1871-1945)

Otto von Bismarck 21 March 20 March Non-partisan Bismarck

(1815-1898) 1871 1890

Leo von Caprivi 20 March 26 October Non-partisan Caprivi

(1831-1899) 1890 1894

Chlodwig zu 29 October 17 October Non-partisan Bülow

Hohenlohe-
1894 1900
Schillingfürst(1819-
1901)
Bernhard von 17 October 14 July 1909 Non-partisan Bülow
Bülow(1849-1929)
1900

Theobald von 14 July 1909 13 July 1917 Non-partisan Bethmann-

Bethmann-Hollweg Hollweg
(1856-1921)
Georg Michaelis 14 July 1917 1 November Non-partisan Michaelis
(1857-1936) 1917

Georg von Hertling 1 November 30 Centre Party Hertling

(1843-1919) 1917 September
1918
Max von Baden 3 October 9 November Non-partisan Baden
(1867-1929) 1918 1918

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 Weimar Republic (1918-1933)
Friedrich 13 February 13 February Social Council of the
Ebert(1871- 1919 1919 Democratic People’s
1925) Party Deputies
SPD-USPD
Philipp 13 February 20 June 1919 Social Scheidermann
Scheidermann 1919 Democratic SPD-DDP-Z
(1865-1939) Party
Gustav Bauer 14 August 26 March 1920 Social Bauer SPD-
(1870-1944) 1919 Democratic DDP-Z
Party
Herrman 27 March 1920 21 June 1920 Social Müller I SPD-
Müller (1876- Democratic DDP-Z
1931) Party

Constantin 25 June 1920 4 May 1921 Centre Party Fehrenbach Z-

Fehrenbach DDP-DVP

Joseph Wirth 10 May 1921 14 November Centre Party Wirth I Z-SPD-

(1879-1956) 1922 DDP
Wilhelm 22 November 12 August Non-partisan Cuno Ind.-
Cuno 1922 1923 DVP-DDP-Z-
(1876-1933) BVP
Gustav 13 August 30 November German Stresemann I
Streasemann 1923 1923 People’s Party DVP-SPD-Z-
(1878-1929) DDP
Wilhelm 30 November 15 January Centre Party Marx I Z-DVP-
Marx (1863- 1923 1925 BVP-DDP
1946)
Hans Luthur 15 January 12 May 1926 Non-partisan Luthur I DVP-
(1879-1962) 1925 DNVP-Z-DDP-
BVP

Heinrich 30 March 1930 30 May 1932 Centre Party Brüig I Z-DDP-

Brünig (1885- DVP-WF-BVP-
1970) KVP

Franz von 1 June 1932 17 November Non-partisan Papen Ind.-

Papen (1879- 1932 DNVP
1969)
Kurt von 3 December 28 January Non-partisan Schleicher Ind.-
Schleicher 1932 1933 DNVP
(1882-1934)

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 Nazi Germany (1933-1945)
Adolf Hitler 30 January 30 April 1945 National Hitler NSDAP-
(1889-1945) 1933 Socialist DNVP
German
Workers’ Party

Joseph 30 April 1945 1 May 1945 National NSDAP

Goebbels Socialist
(1897-1945) German
Workers’ Party

Lutz Graf 2 May 1945 23 May 1945 National Schwerin von

Schwerin von Socialist Krosigk
Krosigk German NSDAP
(1887-1977) Workers’ Party

Federal Republic of Germany (1949-present)

Konrad 15 September 20 October Christian Adenauer I

Adenauer 1949/ 20 1953/29 Democratic CDU/CSU-
(1876-1967) October 1953/ October Union FDP-DP
29 October 1957/14
1957/14 November
November 1961/15
1961 October 1963

Ludwig Erhard 16 October 26 October Independent Erhard

(1897-1977) 1963/ 26 1965/30 ICDU/CSU-
October 1965 November FDP
1966

Kurt Georg 1 December 21 October Christian Kiesinger

Kiesinger 1966 1969 Democratic CDU/CSU-
(1904-1988) Union SPD

Willy Brandt 22 October 15 December Social Brandt I SPD-

(1913-1992) 1969/15 1972/7 May Democratic FDP
December 1974 Party
1972

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Helmut 16 May 14 December Social Schmidt I
Schmidt (1918- 1974/16 1976/4 Democratic SPD-FDP
2015) December November Party
1976/6 1980/1
November October 1982
1980

Helmut Kohl 1 October 29 March Christian Kohl I

(1930-2017) 1982/30 1983/11 Democratic CDU/CSU-
March March Union FDP
1983/12 1987/18
March January 1991/
1987/18 17 November
January 1994/ 27
1991/17 October 1998
November
1994

Gerhard 27 October 22 October Social Schöder I

Schöder(born 1988/22 2002/22 Democratic SPD-Green
1944) October 2002 November Party
2005

Angela Merkel 22 November 28 October Christian Merkel I

(born 1954) 2005/28 2009/17 Democratic CDU/CSU-
October December Union SPD
2009/17 2013/14
December March 2018/8
2013/14 December
March 2018 2021

Olaf Scholz 8 December Incumbent Social Scholz SPD-

(born 1958) 2021 Democratic Green FDP
Party

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9. Angela Merkel (Former Chancellor,2005-2021)
Angela Dorothea Merkel, the first female chancellor of Germany and a member of the
Christian Democratic Union (CDU), was born on 17 July 1954 in Hamburg, in the West
Germany, and her family moved to the East Germany when she was an infant and
obtained a doctorate in quantum chemistry in 1986 and then worked as a research
scientist until 1989. She then entered politics in the wake of the Revolutions of 1989,
briefly serving as deputy spokeswoman for the first democratically elected government of
the East Germany.
Following German Reunification in 1990, she was elected to the Bundestag for the
state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In 1991, she was appointed as Minister for Women
and Youth and later in 1994, she became the Minister for the Environment, Nature
Conservation and Nuclear Safety, which gave her greater political visibility and a
platform on which to build her personal political career. After the CDU lost the 1998
Federal Election, she was elected general secretary of the party. She then became the
party's first female leader, and the first female Leader of the Opposition two years later.

Following the 2005 Federal Election, she was elected as chancellor, leading a grand
coalition consisting of the CDU, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social
Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). That’s why she was the first woman to be elected as
chancellor, and the first chancellor of reunified Germany to have been raised in the
former East Germany.

Merkel also played a crucial role in managing the global 2007-2008 financial crisis
and the European Debt Crisis. Furthermore, she negotiated the 2008 European Union
stimulus plan, focusing on infrastructure spending and public investment to counteract the
Great Recession.

In domestic policy, Merkel’s Energiewende program focused on future energy

development, seeking to phase out nuclear power in Germany, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and increase renewable energy sources. In the election of September 2013,
Merkel won one of the most decisive victories in German history, achieving the best
result for the CDU/CSU since reunification and coming within five seats of the first
absolute majority in the Bundestag since 1957. What’s more, Merkel enjoyed good
relations with US presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Obama also described
her in 2016 as his "closest international partner" throughout his tenure as president.

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 Reforms to the Bundeswehr, which abolished conscription, health care reform and her
government's response to the 2010s European migrant crisis, and the COVID-19
pandemic, were major issues during her chancellorship. On 18 March 2020, Merkel gave
a widely publicized speech on the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing its challenges to the
Second World War. Merkel has also won international plaudits for her handling of the
pandemic in Germany.

Merkel was widely described as the de facto leader of the European Union
throughout her tenure as chancellor. On 26 March 2014, Merkel became the longest-
serving incumbent head of government in the European Union. In 2018, Merkel was
named the most powerful woman in the world for a record fourteenth time by Forbes. In
a 2018 survey, Merkel was found to be the most widely respected world leader.

Germany's economy has also grown by 34% since the start of Merkel's tenure —
15 percentage points more than its nearest EU rival, France. Under Merkel,
unemployment fell by more than 3 million. Furthermore, she abolished military
conscription, eventually came around to accepting single-sex marriage, gave parents
more flexibility when it came to taking leave for newborn children, and supported the
introduction of a minimum wage.

What’s more, the 67-year-old Merkel, a German former politician and scientist,
who served as a chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021has been the third longest-
serving chancellor in German history. She previously served as a Leader of the
Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and also as a Leader of the Christian Democratic Union
from 2000 to 2018. During her chancellorship, Merkel was frequently referred as the
leader of the European Union (EU). In 2021 Federal Election, Merkel stepped down as
the leader of the CDU and did not seek a fifth term as chancellor.

Therefore, Angela Merkel whose tenure was 16 years overall was the first female
chancellor in Germany and it obviously showed that Germany is the country that has
gender equality and don’t have sexual discrimination even in the politics as Merkel’s
tenure is the third longest. Besides, Merkel could handle every situation very well not
only in the country but also in the diplomatic relations. The country is also greatly
increased and developed during her chancellorship. Furthermore, the unemployment rate
is also significantly decreased under Merkel’s tenure.

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 Angela Merkel
(Former Chancellor of Germany)

Merkel shines in handling of Germany’s coronavirus crisis

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10. Olaf Scholz (Current Chancellor of Germany,2021)

Scholz was born on 14 June 1958, in Osnabruck, Lower Saxony, but grew up in
Hamburg’s Rahlstedt district. Scholz joined the SPD in 1975 as student, where he came
into contact with Jusos, the youth organization of SPD. From 1982 to 1988, he was
Deputy Federal Chairman of the Jusos. Scholz was also Vice President of the
International Union of Socialist Youth from 1987 to 1989.Scholz was first elected to
represent the constituency of Hamburg-Altona in the Bundestag in 1998, aged 40.

From 2002 to 2004, Scholz also served as General Secretary of SPD. Scholz served as
the SPD spokesperson on the inquiry committee investigating the 2005 German Visa
Affair. In 2007, Scholz was appointed to serve as Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in
the first Merkel Government, succeeding Franz Muntefering. In 2011, Scholz was the
lead SPD candidate at Hamburg state election which the SPD won with 48.3% of the
votes, taking 62 of the 121 seats in the Hamburg Parliament.

Scholz was elected Chancellor by the Bundestag on 8 December 2021, with 395 votes
in favor and 303 against. His new government was appointed on the same day by
President Frank Walter Steinmeier. At 63 years, 177 days of age, Scholz is the oldest
person to become Chancellor of Germany.

After Olaf Scholz became German Chancellor after Merkel’s 16-year rule, his
pragmatic handling of the COVID crisis won him much praise and high approval ratings.
With France, Scholz was also lead architect of the pandemic recovery fund. After
Merkel’s era of close relations with France, Scholz’s record in maintaining Franco-
German solidarity also works in his favor. In December 2021, Scholz rejected the Polish
government, there is no legal basis for further compensation payments.

In the 2021-2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Scholz government initially refused to send

weapons to Ukraine, citing existing German policy and financial support for the Eastern
European country. With regard to supporting Ukraine and taking action against Russia,
Scholz was trailing behind others. On 26 February 2022, he was the last of several EU
leaders to continue opposition against kicking Russia out of the SWIFT international
payment system. However, Germany did send some effective weapons to Ukraine. By
then, January 2023 debate about supplying tanks to Ukraine was still to come. Currently

18
seen a
reticent
on

supplying weapons, Germany has become the second biggest contributor of military
assistance to Ukraine after the United States.

Olaf Scholz
(Current Chancellor of Germany)

19
 Olaf Scholz takes over from Angela Merkel as German
Chancellor

11. The power and responsibilities of chancellors

In Germany, the position of Chancellor holds significant powers and responsibilities

within the federal government. The Chancellor is the head of government and plays a
crucial role in shaping policies, representing Germany nationally and internationally and
leading the executive branch. Here are the main powers and responsibilities of the
Chancellors of Germany.

Legislative Liaison: The Chancellor plays a critical role in the legislative process.
They work with members of parliament, especially those belonging to ruling coalition, to
build support for government initiatives and ensure the passage of legislation.

Cabinet Appointment: The Chancellor has the authority to appoint and dismiss
members of the federal cabinet. They work closely with ministers and coordinate their
activities to ensure the effective functioning of government.

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 International Representation: As the head of government, the Chancellor represents
Germany internationally. They engage in diplomatic negotiations, attend international
summits and conferences, and play a key role in shaping Germany’s foreign policy.

Crisis Management: The Chancellor is responsible for managing crises and

emergencies that may arise within the country or on the international stage. They provide
leadership during times n of national security threats, economic challenges or natural
disasters.

Budgetary Control: The Chancellor, along with the Minister of Finance, is involved
in the budgetary process. They help formulate the federal budget, set economic priorities,
and ensure fiscal responsibility.

Party Leadership: Typically, the Chancellor is also the leader of a political party or a
coalition of parties. As such, they play a crucial role in guiding the party’s agenda’
mobilizing party support, and coordinating party activities.

12. What are chancellors known for?

Chancellors are known for holding important leadership positions in various contexts,
including politics, education and finance. The specific roles and responsibilities of
chancellors can vary depending on the country or institution they serve. Here are a few
examples of the roles and notable characteristics associated with chancellors in different
contexts:

Political Chancellors: In some countries, such as Germany, Austria, and the United
Kingdom, the term “chancellor” refers to the head of the government or the highest
ranking executive official. Political chancellors are typically responsible for leading the
government, formulating policies, representing the country domestically and
internationally, and managing the day-to-day affairs of the nation.

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 University Chancellors: In the context of higher education, a university chancellor is
a ceremonial figurehead or an honorary position. They are often prominent individuals
from various fields, such as academia, politics, business, or the arts. University
chancellors may act as ambassadors for the institution, preside over graduation
ceremonies, and provide guidance and support to the university’s leadership.

Financial Chancellors: In the finance sector, a chancellor may refer to a high-ranking

official overseeing monetary and economic policies. For instance, in Germany, the
Minister of Finance is called the Federal Minister of Finance and also serves as the Vice
Chancellor. Financial chancellors are responsible for managing the country’s finances,
including budgeting, taxation, fiscal policies and economic planning.

Historical Chancellors: Throughout history, chancellors have held significant

positions of power and influence. For example, during the Holy Roman Empire, the
chancellor was a principal advisor to the emperor, responsible for issuing official
documents, managing the imperial chancery, and overseeing diplomatic affairs.

13. What is the difference between chancellor and president of Germany?

The president enjoys a higher ranking at official functions than the chancellor. The
president's role is integrative and includes the control function of upholding the law and
the constitution. The German head of state is the federal president. As in Germany's
parliamentary system of government, the federal chancellor runs the government and day-
to-day politics, while the role of the federal president is mostly ceremonial.
14. How chancellors shaped Germany into a better form

Here are some examples of how chancellors shaped Germany into a better form:
(a) Otto von Bismarck (1871-1890)
Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian politician who became Germany’s first ever
chancellor. His policies as chancellor were aimed at holding the newly –formed state
together in the face of religious, political and social divisions all while trying to
maintain the fragile peace in Europe.
(b) Friedrich Ebert (1871-1925)
Friedrich Ebert was a German politician. A journeyman saddler and trade
unionist, he became chairman of the German Social Democratic Party in 1913. Under
his leadership, the Social Democratic movement gained increasing influence in
German national politics. After revolution broke out in 1918, he formed a Socialist

22
 coalition government. He helped bring about the Weimar constitution and in 1919 was
elected the first president of the Weimar republic.
(c) Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)
Hitler aimed for full employment and by 1939 there was virtually no
unemployment in Germany.
How Hitler increased employment;
(i) Public works
He began a huge program of public works, which included building hospitals,
schools and public buildings such as the 1936 Olympic Stadium. The
construction of the autobahns created work for 80,000 men.
(ii) Rearmament
Rearmament was responsible for the bulk of economic growth between 1933
and 1938. Rearmament started almost as soon as Hitler came into power but was
announced publicly in 1935. This created millions of jobs for German workers.
(iii) National service
The introduction of National Labor Service (NLS) meant all young men spent
six months in the NLS and were then conscripted into the army.
In this way, Hitler improved Germany’s economic strength to become a better
country.

(d) Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967)

Konrad Adenauer was a German statesman, first chancellor of the Federal
Republic of Germany (West Germany). he played an important role in the formation
of the Christian Democratic Union. As chancellor from 1949, he stressed
individualism under the rule of law. His fear of Soviet expansion made him a strong
supporter of NATO. He worked hard to reconcile Germany with its former enemies,
especially France. He retired his post in 1963.

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 Otto von Bismarck (1871-1890) Friedrich Ebert (1871-1925)

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967)

Conclusion

Federal legislative power is divided between the Bundestag and the Bundesrat. The
Bundestag is directly elected by the German people, while the Bundesrat represents the

24
governments of the regional states (Länder). The Bundestag is more powerful than the
Bundesrat. The chancellor cannot be removed from office during a four-year term unless
the Bundestag has agreed on a successor. The current Bundestag is the largest in German
history with 736 members. A 2023 reform of German election law limits the size of the
Bundestag to 630 members for upcoming federal elections. The first Bundestag elections
were held in the Federal Republic of Germany ("West Germany") on 14 August 1949.
Following reunification, elections for the first all-German Bundestag were held on 2
December 1990. The last federal election was held on 26 September 2021.

References

1.Website-https://www.bbbc.co.uk

Article-Weimar Germany Overview

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2.Website-www.tatschen-ueber-deutschaland.de

Article-Germany government system

3.Website-https://en.m.wikipedia.org

Article-Social Democratic Party and Christian Democratic Party

Author-Jacob Hoss (studied at Harvard University)

4.Website-https://en.m.wikipedia.org, www.bundeskanzler.de

Article-Politics of Germany

5. Article title: Chancellor (Germany)

Website: Britannica

URL: http://www.britannica.com/topic/chancellor-Germany

Date: July 28, 2019

Author: The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica

6."German Bundestag - From the Parliamentary Council to the most visited

parliament..." German Bundestag. Retrieved 17 August 2022.

7. Zeitung, Suddeutsche, on 13 March 2013, “Kanzlerin Merkel hat polnische Wurzeln

“Angela Merkel: Her bio in brief”, The Christian Science Monitor on 20 September 2013

“Government continues as acting government on” 15 November 2017 by the Way back Machine,
bundeskanzlerin.de, 24 October 2017

“Merkel, power player who changed Germany” by the West Australian on 26 August 2021

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