Erasmus Staff Mobility at the Charles University in the summer term 2014 Political System and Political Parties in Germany -

The federal elections of 2013 as a turning point?

Structure of the course

17th March, 12:30-15:30

- Historical background

- Functions of Bundestag, Bundesrat, Bundesverfassungsgericht, Bundesregierung and Bundespräsident

18th March, 9:30-10:50

- Political parties and their unique histories (small presentations on the political parties by the students, max. 10 minutes, CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP, Green Party, The Left)

19th March, 11:00-12:20

- Analysis of the election campaign 2013

20th March, 11:00-12:30

- Analysis of the result of the German federal election 2013

- Perspectives

- Small test

Reading Materials:

- Crossland, David/Heine, Friederike: World From Berlin: The SPD 'Has to Negotiate' with Merkel, in: www.spiegel-online.de, 25.09.13, http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-press-review-on-merkel- s-search-for-a-coalition-partner-a-924432.html (accessed December 2013).

- Helms, Ludger: Angela Merkel and the Unfilled Promise of Chancellor Democracy, in: Current History (March 2011), http://www.uibk.ac.at/politikwissenschaft/dokumente/pdf/forschung/currenthis tory.pdf (accessed December 2013).

- Kommers, Daniel P./Miller, Russel A.: The Constitutional Jurisprudence of the Federal Republic of Germany, 3rd Rev. and exp. ed., Duke 2012.

- Langenbacher, Eric: Between Left and Right. The 2009 Bundestag Elections and the Transformation of the German Party System, New York/Oxford 2010.

- Langenbacher, Eric/Conradt, David P.: The German Politiy, 10th Edition,

Manchester 2013.

- Schmidt, Manfred: Political Institutions in the Federal Republic of Germany, Oxford 2003.

Teaching Methodology:

- Seminar/presentation with a small test at the end of the 5th lessons