ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8249-7388
Document Type
Book Chapter
Date
1-31-2013
Keywords
federalism, institutionalism, Germany, institutional change
Language
English
Disciplines
Comparative Politics | Political Science
Description/Abstract
One of the oldest federalist systems, Germany offers itself as a case study for long-term developments in federalism. Drawing on a burgeoning literature on institutional continuity and change we investigate the development of a key institution of German federalism, the Federal Council (Bundesrat) from the foundation of the German Reich until today. Counter to claims that institutional change occurs mainly during “critical junctures,” the Federal Council has shown remarkable resilience: It persisted through World War I and the 1919 revolution and the writing of the centralist Weimar constitution. Dismantled in 1934, it returned in 1949 after years of dictatorship, war, and military occupation. Counter to an emphasis on institutional stability in “settled” times in earlier literature, the role of the Bundesrat has changed significantly over the last 60 years. Initially representing the interests of federal states, it has gradually developed into a powerful second chamber dominated by national-level politics.
ISBN
9780199652990
Recommended Citation
Thelen, Kathleen A. and Karcher, Sebastian, "Resilience and Change in Federal Institutions: The Case of the German Federal Council" (2013). Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs. 3.
https://surface.syr.edu/miga/3
Source
submission
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Additional Information
Published as
Thelen, Kathleen A, and Sebastian Karcher. 2013. “Resilience and Change in Federal Institutions: The Case of the German Federal Council.” In Federal Dynamics: Continuity, Change, and the Varieties of Federalism, edited by Jörg Broschek and Arthur Benz, 117–39. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199652990.003.0006.