Germany Bundesländer Map & Federalism PDF

# Deutschland: Bundesländer und Hauptstädte ## Map of Germany This is a map of Germany, showing its 16 states (Bundesländer) and their capitals (Hauptstädte), illustrated with a key: * **Bundesland:** State * **Stadtstaat:** City-state * **Hauptstadt:** Capital ### States and Capitals * **Schles...

# Deutschland: Bundesländer und Hauptstädte ## Map of Germany This is a map of Germany, showing its 16 states (Bundesländer) and their capitals (Hauptstädte), illustrated with a key: * **Bundesland:** State * **Stadtstaat:** City-state * **Hauptstadt:** Capital ### States and Capitals * **Schleswig-Holstein:** Kiel * **Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:** Schwerin * **Hamburg:** Hamburg * **Brandenburg:** Potsdam * **Bremen:** Bremen * **Berlin:** Berlin * **Niedersachsen:** Hannover * **Sachsen-Anhalt:** Magdeburg * **Nordrhein-Westfalen:** Düsseldorf * **Thüringen:** Erfurt * **Hessen:** Wiesbaden * **Sachsen:** Dresden * **Rheinland-Pfalz:** Mainz * **Bayern:** München * **Saarland:** Saarbrücken * **Baden-Württemberg:** Stuttgart # Föderalismus Föderalismus is a political principle in which power is divided between a central government and several regional or local governments. This system allows for a degree of autonomy at the different levels while coordinating to achieve national or overarching goals. ## Characteristics of federalism * **Division of Power:** The competencies are divided between the federal government (central state) and the constituent states (e.g., Länder, cantons, Bundesstaaten). * **Autonomy:** Each level has its own responsibilities and laws, e.g., education, police, or taxes. * **Constitutional Guarantee:** Federalism is often enshrined in the constitution to protect the rights of the constituent states. * **Cooperation:** The different levels work together to find solutions for specific tasks. ## Examples of Federal States * **Germany:** 16 states with their own state governments and parliaments. * **Switzerland:** 26 cantons with their own constitutions and laws. * **USA:** 50 states with their independent governor and legislature. ## Advantages of Federalism Federalism allows for a better consideration of regional needs. However, tensions may arise between the levels, particularly regarding jurisdiction or the allocation of resources. # Wahl zum Landtag This is a diagram illustrating the election process for the Landtag (state parliament). Here´s a detailed description: * **First vote (Wahlkreisabgeordeter):** Each voter casts a vote for a candidate in their electoral district (Wahlkreis). The candidate with the most votes is elected as the representative for that district. * **Electoral district (Wahlkreis):** Germany has 36 electoral districts. * **Second Vote (Verhältniswahl):** The voter casts another vote for a political party. * **Seats based on Proportional Representation (Verhältniswahl):** The number of seats allocated to each party in the Landtag is proportional to the share of votes they receive statewide. * **Additional Seats:** To compensate for discrepancies between overall statewide votes and seats won in the electoral districts, additional seats are allocated to parties as necessary. The total number of seats in the Landtag is currently 79. * **Landtag:** The Landtag is the state parliament. * **Minister President (MP):** The Minister President is the head of the state government. ## Besonderheiten (Characteristics) * **5% Threshold:** Parties must receive at least 5% of the statewide vote to be represented in the Landtag. * **Overhang Mandates:** If a party wins more seats in the electoral districts than their proportional share of votes entitles them to, they keep those extra seats, resulting in an "overhang mandate." * **Compensation Seats (Ausgleichsmandate):** To compensate for overhang mandates and ensure fair representation of all parties, additional seats are allocated to parties that would otherwise be underrepresented, resulting in "compensation seats." # Politik im Bundesland MV ## Federalism Federalism is a system of government organizing a state. The Federal Republic of Germany consists of 16 federal states (Bundesländer). Each federal state has its own parliament and government. They both have their responsibilities. ## State Responsibilities (Aufgaben Länder) * Education (Schule) * Police ## Federal Responsibilities (Aufgaben Bund) * Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) * Motorways (Autobahn) * Passport Services (Passwesen) # Landespolitik This document focuses on state politics in Germany. ## Shared responsibilities of the states (Bundesländer) This section discusses the common features of states in Germany. ### The state's autonomy (Selbstständigkeit) * Independent political decisions * Own Parliament, government, and Minister President ### State Parliament (Landtag) * Citizens elect the Landtag. * Formulation of laws (Gesetzgebung) * Election of the Minister President * Administration and government * State budget (Haushalt) * State-level political matters, e.g., school policy ### State Parliament's roles (Landtag Aufgaben) * Discussion of state-level topics * Confirmation of the state government * Election of the Minister President * Financial oversight of the state government * Creation of state-level laws ### State Responsibilities (Zuständigkeit der Länder) * Taxes and Laws: States collect taxes and create laws, e.g., on education. (2 B. eigenes Schulgesetz) * Police: State police responsible for law enforcement, except for federal crimes. * Preservation of State Culture: Encouraging and preserving cultural landmarks, museums, historical sites. * Land Transportation: Regulating land transportation like road, air, and ship transportation. * Local Government: States pass laws that govern how municipalities operate. * Planning and Implementation of State Highways (Bundesautobahnen) within their territory. ### Interstate Fiscal Equalization (Länderfinanzausgleich) * Wealthier states contribute to poorer states to ensure similar living conditions across Germany. This ensures that the different regions of Germany are able to provide similar services to their citizens, despite the differences in their financial resources.