9.2 EXTRA: politics in a democracy

9.2 EXTRA: politics in a democracy

The Weimar Republic (1919 - 1933)

After WW1 Germany became 

• a republic (instead of an absolute monarchy)
• and a parliamentary democracy.

• In a democracy power is in the hands of the people.
• Because there are too many people in a country to be involved in politics every day, the people elect representatives to make decisions for them (=indirect democracy).
• These representatives come together in a parliament.
• thus, parliament is "the people's representatives".

The Weimar Republic (1919 - 1933)

• Every modern democracy uses a parliament.
• Parliament is the legislative power (in the Trias Politica system).
• This means that parliament makes the laws.

The Weimar Republic (1919 - 1933)

• Members of parliament are elected in the general elections (every 4 years)
• Usually they belong to a political party
• If elected, they get a seat in parliament
• the party with the most seats has the best chance to get its laws passed.

The Weimar Republic (1918 - 1933)

• the name of a parliament or the number of members differs per country:

• NL: Staten-Generaal: Tweede Kamer (150 seats)
• UK: Parliament: House of Commons (650 seats)
• USA: Congress: House of Representatives (435 seats)
• Germany: Bundestag (before 1945: Reichstag) (598 seats)

The Weimar Republic (1919 - 1933)

• In some countries there is an additional "chamber" that serves as an extra check before a law is passed.

• NL: Staten-Generaal: Tweede Kamer + Eerste Kamer (senaat) 
• UK: Parliament: House of Commons + House of Lords
• USA: Congress: House of Representatives + Senate

parliament =

the people's representatives!!

= volksvertegenwoordiging

elected by the people

the separation of power: Trias Politica

the courts

parliament

the government:

Prime minister + ministers

Tweede Kamer, Den Haag

House of Commons, London

House of Representatives, Washington

Bundestag, Berlin

Reichstag, Berlin, 1922

The Weimar Republic (1919 - 1933)

After the first general elections for the Reichstag in a democratic Germany, the largest party became: the Social Democrats (SDP, = like our PvdA), followed by the Liberals (= like our VVD) and the Catholics (= like our CDA).

The Weimar Republic (1919 - 1933)

These parties all embrace freedom and democracy. That is why we say that they belong to the political center.

• There were also political parties that hated democracy, for example:

• communists (who wanted a country like the Soviet Union)
• nationalists (who wanted Germany to be a strong empire again)

• These undemocratic groups we call extremists.

Spartakists

Freikorps

Which power does parliament hold in the Trias Politica
(or in any democratic state)?

1. judicial power
2. absolute power
3. legislative power
4. executive power

Which of the following does NOT belong to parliament?

1. 1e & 2e Kamer
2. Staten-Generaal
3. peoples' representatives
4. prime minister

What was the name of the German parliament during the Weimar Republic?

1. Bundestag
2. Reichstag
3. Freitag
4. Rekentaak

So, parliament "makes the laws".
But it has another function within the Trias Politica.

Which one?

1. execute the new laws
2. check the government
3. prosecute people who break the law
4. appoint the king

Parliament:

• in a democracy power is separated into 3 equal branches.
• parliament is the legislative power: it makes the laws.
• parliament is elected by the people. It is therefore "the people's representatives".
• The other two branches are the executive and judicial power.
• The executive power is the government.
• But what is a government?

Government:

• the government is a small group: ministers, led by a prime minister.
• This group is mostly referred to as the cabinet.
• The cabinet's task is to execute parliament's laws.
• A new cabinet is formed after the (parliament) elections.
• The winning party of the elections has the first choice to form a cabinet and appoint the (prime) ministers from its own party.

Government:

• So:     government = cabinet =  ministers (+ prime minister)

• With a majority support in parliament a cabinet can pass its own plans / ideas (= its policy) as new laws.

• In Germany the prime minister is called the "chancellor" (kanselier)
• Hitler wanted his nazi party to win the Reichstag elections.
• He would then become chancellor.
• He could then start to execute his own plans.....