POLI SCI 106 1st Edition Lecture 10 Outline of Last Lecture 1. Parliamentary vs. Presidential System2. Vote of No Confidence3. Majoritarian or Consensus?4. The Scottish Referendum and its Consequences5. Issues to be Addressed6. The "West Lothian Question"7. "West-Lothian" Problems8. The Rise of UKIP9. The UK in the EUOutline of Current Lecture 1. Constitution: The "Basic Law"2. Federalism3. Parliamentary Government4. Bundestag5. Bundesrat6. Electoral Systems: Majority/Plurality Systems7. Proportional Representation8. Types of Party ListsCurrent Lecture - Germany: Political System (Including Electoral Systems) Constitution: The "Basic Law" -- 1949: "temporary" constitution for West Germany- Goal: stable and effective democratic system-same continuity (especially regarding Weimar)-but avoid constitutional weaknesses, constrain anti-system forces-clear division of authority, checks and balances- established parliamentary democracy, disperses power, limits extremism- still in place today- 1990: GDR incorporated into existing political, legal, and economic systemFederalism -- means of dispersing power- 16 "Lander" (states) share power with federal governmentThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- federal government responsible for most areas- important state powers - education, culture, law enforcement- some areas have shared responsibilities, but federal law superiorParliamentary Government -- bicameral legislature -lower house: "Bundestag" = dominant, directly elected-upper house: "Bundesrat" = represents state governmentsBundestag - - 631 members- elected every four years- main legislative body, but most "legislative initiative" (proposal of new legislation) by executive-But more autonomous than House of Commons- Other key functions - election of chancellor (prime minister), budgetary power, scrutinizeexecutiveBundesrat -- not directly elected - representative of state governments - state governments appoint 69 members based on state size, usually members of state cabinets- Bundesrat = conference of state PMs- votes cast as one block, instructions of state government- role - represent states in federal law-making - when laws require Bundesrat support: state governments are key players- possibility of divided governmentElectoral Systems: Majority/Plurality Systems -- "winner-takes-all"/"first-past-the-post" - candidate supported by largest number of voters wins, others unrepresented- majority = candidate gets more than 50% of the votes- plurality = candidate wins more votes than everyone else (doesn't have to be greater than 50%)- Single Member Plurality System (SMPS) --one representative per district-to win seat: win more votes than the next strongest candidate-Note; plurality sufficesProportional Representation - - PR- number of votes translated proportionally into number of seats in legislature-Ex. party wins 20% of votes, it gets 20% of seats - even "losers" can win, some representation, gain seats in legislature- favors small parties as well as large- List PR - -no representation by district-candidates chosen from party list-if party entitled to 25 seats, the top 25 people on party list fill seatsTypes of Party Lists - - Closed list - -order of candidates is fixed, set by party-voters cannot express preference for candidates- Open list --voters can indicate their preferred party as well as their favored candidate(s) within thatparty- Free list --voters have multiple votes to allocate either within a single party list or across different