Volume 48 (2017), Edition 3

Interpretation and application of constitutional law are often influenced by theoretical presuppositions, which then finally determine the content of constitutional law . In particular this can be observed in the periphery of the democratic...

The constitutional right of parliament to request information from the government is a defining part of the system of checks and balances within the separation of powers between the executive and the legislative branch . Most importantly, the scope...

The principle of “effective functioning of the opposition” in parliament is well recognized in German constitutional debates . It gained new interest due to the forming of a “Qualified Grand Coalition” (supported by more than 75 percent of...

The role of parliamentary opposition in the German Bundestag is under scrutiny . With the establishment of a Grand Coalition and ongoing party fragmentation, how can an opposition, which lacks to achieve the required quorums, be an effective one?...

From 1945 to the late 1980s, Austrian parliamentarism was characterized by coalition governments that secured a significantly high number of seats in parliament . Ever since, opposition parties have continuously gained seats and the political party...

Apart from some turbulence in the middle of the legislative period, the “Coastal Coalition”, including the SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and the SSW, was able to follow a stable and smooth course . Results in many previous elections in...

In what ways do political parties shape policymaking in the German single states? This question is analyzed by the interrelation of government coalitions and policy formulation in the field of animal welfare policy . The study reveals that major...

When researching the history of constitutions since 1945, topics chosen have often been the executive branch or the national parliament (Bundestag) while at the same time the history and the development of the state parliaments have been seriously...

In its ruling of January, 17 2017, the Federal Constitutional Court decided that the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) cannot be prohibited because there are no indications that it will succeed in achieving its anti-constitutional aims ....

How were political parties in the political philosophy of the German pre-March (“Vormärz”) 1815 till 1848 perceived? A revision of some long-standing prejudices in favor of a more benign view on the pre-March concept of political parties is...