The German Electoral System and its Impact on Party Politics Fulbright German Studies Seminar Berlin, June 2009 Isabelle Kuerschner, Ph.D

The German Electoral System The German Electoral System and its Impact on Party Politics and its Impact on Party Politics

Fulbright German Studies SeminarBerlin, June 2009

Isabelle Kuerschner, Ph.D.

Elections to the European ParliamentElections to the European Parliament

multi-member representation with closed party lists

The German Electoral System and its Impact on Party Politics Dr. Isabelle Kürschner

Distribution of seats Distribution of seats


Elections to the „Bundestag“Elections to the „Bundestag“

Mixed-member-electoral-system

proportional representation and plurality principle

regular number of seats in the Bundestag 598.

◦ 299 for single seat districts

◦ 299 for list candidates.


The 2005 Bundestags electionThe 2005 Bundestags election


34,2% 222 seats

27,8% 180 seats

7,4% 46 seats

8,1% 51 seats

9,8% 61 seats

8,7% 54 seats


voters have the right to cast two votes

◦ nominal ballot – first ballot – selects a candidate by

plurality in single-member districts.

◦ list ballot – the second ballot – is the party vote






The 2005 Bundestags electionThe 2005 Bundestags election


34,2% 222 seats

27,8% 180 seats

7,4% 46 seats

8,1% 51 seats

9,8% 61 seats

8,7% 54 seats

Political Parties in the Electoral Political Parties in the Electoral ProcessProcess

1. Party system (1950ies – 1983)◦ CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP (two-and-a-half)

2. Party system (1983 – 1990ies)◦ CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP, Greens (two-and-two-halves)

3. Party system (1990ies – today)◦ CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP, Greens, Left Party (two-and-three-

halves)




Documents

The German Electoral System and its Impact on Party Politics Fulbright German Studies Seminar Berlin, June 2009 Isabelle Kuerschner, Ph.D