COURSE DESCRIPTION
After the Reunification of Germany in 1990 the city of Berlin regained its function as the Nation´s Capital, thus becoming The Centre of German Politics. The course will explore significant features of the German political system, it will highlight the dominant place of the German parliament, and it will explain the role of political parties and the function of the federal government. The class will address main political actors, interests, and cleavages.
We will discuss and learn about: Why is Germany a Federal State? What are the reasons for its administrative set-up? What makes German domestic politics so difficult? What is the German outlook on European Union integration? What about Germany´s approach to international climate change policies? The class work will be supplemented by excursions to the Bundestag, the lower chamber of the national parliament, this will include visits and talks to elected members of parliament and staff, and it will present insights into the work of party foundations.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The objective of this Bachelor-level course is to equip students with an in-depth understanding of the German political system, providing them with profound insights into the democratic and federal foundation of German domestic and European politics. The class will provide students with theoretical and empirical knowledge about the presented topics, and it will enable to develop academic skills and personal competences of political analysis. By the end of the course participants will be able to:
- Identify the specific features of the political-administrative set-up of Germany
- Comprehend the peculiarities of contemporary German democracy
- Provide an overview of political actors, important political issues, and fields of action
- Describe the functioning of the German parliamentary, governmental, and party system
- Analyze and reflect on the process of political deliberation and decision making
- Communicate and discuss theoretical positions, empirical facts, and observations.
- Course owner: Gert-Ruediger Wegmarshaus