9.2 EXTRA: politics in a DEMOCRACY

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3

the Reichstag:           the German parliament

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

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)

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.

RECAP 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 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.....

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