Government in the Federal Republic of Germany

Government in the Federal Republic of Germany: The Executive at Work focuses on the government in the Federal Republic of Germany as an executive activity, as well as the institutional framework for the overall control and direction of public action. The effects of the decentralized structure of government on the behavior and relationships of political parties are also explored. This book is comprised of eight chapters and begins with a discussion on past institutional structures and procedures that have shaped particular ideas about law, politics, and government in West Germany, including the retention of a federal structure of government, constitutionalism, and the Rechtsstaat. The following chapters deal with the political framework of the Federal Republic of Germany; federal executive leadership; the federal administrative system; and federalism and decentralization in West German government. The bureaucracy, the problem of how to control the exercise of governmental powers, and the challenge of expanding government in West Germany are also considered. This monograph will be of interest to political scientists, politicians, government officials, and students of government and politics.

Preface1. The Inheritance of the State The Absence of a Unitary State German Constitutionalism and the Rechtsstaat The Separation between State and Society2. The Political Framework o f the Federal Republic The Revolution of Destruction and Its Aftermath The Reconstruction of Political Institutions The Reshaping of the Party System The Social and Economic Context of Political Reconstruction3. Federal Executive Leadership The Federal Government The Federal Chancellor Federal Ministers Ministers and Their Departments The Social Character of West German Governments Executive Stability and Continuity4. The Federal Administration The Federal Ministries Allocation of Functions Scale and Structure The Federal Departments and Their External Relations Relations between the Federal Departments A Pluralist Executive5. Federalism and Decentralization in West German Government The Main Features of German Federalism The Länder and Federal Legislation The Länder within the Framework of German Administration The Financial Basis of Federalism Other Aspects of Decentralization within the Federal Structure Trends in German Federalism6. The Bureaucracy in the Federal Republic The Historical Heritage The Organization of the Public Services Officials-Beamte Politics, Policy-Making and Patronage7. Controlling the Executive The Judicial Modes of Control The Internal Control of Financial Performance Political Controls over the Activities of Government8· The Challenge of Expanding Government Co-operation and Co-ordination Planning the Use of Resources The European Community Dimension Political Change and the Rule of LawBibliographyIndex