how far did western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the federal...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: How far did Western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the Federal Republic?](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032703/56649f555503460f94c790c0/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
How far did Western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the
Federal Republic?
![Page 2: How far did Western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the Federal Republic?](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032703/56649f555503460f94c790c0/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Key features....Head of State: President 5 years in office, chosen by special assembly
from Bundestag (lower house of parliament). Ceremonial role
Parliament Two-tiered structure made up of the Bundestag
(the federal parliament) and the Bundesrat (the federal council)
ChancellorElected by and solely responsible to the Bundestag
![Page 3: How far did Western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the Federal Republic?](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032703/56649f555503460f94c790c0/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Electoral System• Necessity of pluralism (democratic parties are an essential
part of the constitution and cannot be abolished)• Proportional representation: used in Weimar but created
too many parties. The number of seats is in proportion to the number of votes.
• FRG adopted a mixed member PR system. This allowed for half of the seats in the Bundestag to be elected by a majority vote in their constituencies and the other half from party lists.
• A 5% hurdle was introduced: if a party won less than 5% of the vote it was barred from parliament.
• System led to fewer parties in the Bundestag and more stability
![Page 4: How far did Western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the Federal Republic?](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032703/56649f555503460f94c790c0/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
In order to protect democracy, various parties and organisations were banned
• 11 communist organisations : Free German Youth
• Communist Party after it gained 2.2% in the elections
• Page 167 Basic Law
![Page 5: How far did Western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the Federal Republic?](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032703/56649f555503460f94c790c0/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Politics in the FRG
Two main partiesCDU Christian Democratic Union and CSU Christian Social
Union (in Bavaria)
SPD Social Democratic Party
‘Multi party system to one of vanishing opposition’
![Page 6: How far did Western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the Federal Republic?](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032703/56649f555503460f94c790c0/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
• First Elections 1949: Adenauer the leader of the CDU: Chancellor, Theodor Heuss the leader of the Free Democratic Party President.
![Page 7: How far did Western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the Federal Republic?](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032703/56649f555503460f94c790c0/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Konrad Adenauer
Supporter of Western Liberal democracy and Catholic conservatism
![Page 8: How far did Western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the Federal Republic?](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032703/56649f555503460f94c790c0/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Adenauer’s Policies
‘Reject the East, integrate with the West’• Joined the EEC- European Economic Community in 1957• Joined NATO- North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 1955• Bundeswehr – army created 1955• Ignore 1953 uprising • Refused to recognise the GDR as a separate state or to
have diplomatic relations with any powers that did recognise it.
• West Germans continued to call East Germany ‘the zone’ until the 1970s
![Page 9: How far did Western democratic structures (political, economic and social) succeed in the Federal Republic?](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032703/56649f555503460f94c790c0/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
The economic miracle
Former Economic director of Bizonia Dr Ludwig Erhard became the brains behind the development of West Germany’s ‘social market economy’.
“Prosperity for all”