Comparing Governments

Of Germany and the US

By Emily Krivak
Angela Merkel is the current Chancellor of
Germany.

National elections for members of the
Bundestag, the chancellor is elected by a
majority of the members of the Bundestag
upon the proposal of the President.

The Chancellor is appointed by the federal
president. The length of her term is 4
years.

The German chancellor must be a German
citizenship. She may not hold other offices
or remain in employment during her term
except being member of parliament, and
must have "passive voting rights" (she must
be eligible for an office).Passing voting
rights can be suspended due to criminal
behavior. They must be at least 18 years of
age. And, of course she needs the majority
of votes in parliament.



Barack Obama is the current President of the
United States.

The election of the President and the Vice
President of the United States is an indirect
vote where citizens cast ballots for members
of the U.S. Electoral College; these electors in
turn directly elect the President and Vice
President.

The president must be 35 years old, he must
be a natural born citizen and live in the United
States for 14 years.

The length of a presidential term is 4 years


Comparison of Leaders
Bundestag is the name of Germanys law
making branch that passes all laws in Germany.



Germany has a bicameral political system,
with the Bundestag and Bundesrat.



the Bundestag members are also the only
federal officials directly elected by the public.






The United States has a bicameral political
system with the Senate and the House of
Representatives.

Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution sets
three qualifications for senators: 1) they must
be at least 30 years old, 2) they must have
been citizens of the United States for at least
the past nine years, and 3) they must be
inhabitants of the states they seek to
represent at the time of their election

United States Senators hold office by popular
vote.













*Relations with the United States

* As allies in NATO, the United States and Germany work side by side to
maintain peace and freedom. U.S. and German troops work together
effectively in NATO and UN operations worldwide due in part to the joint
training and capacity-building performed at U.S. military installations in
Germany. The two countries have extended their diplomatic
cooperation into military cooperation by maintaining peacekeeping
efforts and working together to encourage the evolution of open and
democratic states throughout central and Eastern Europe. Following the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, Germany has
been a reliable U.S. ally in efforts against terrorism. As two of the
world's leading trading nations, the United States and Germany share a
commitment to an open and expanding world economy. The United
States is Germanys second leading export market. Germany exported
goods worth $97 billion to the United States and is the 5th largest U.S.
trading partner globally. The U.S.-German Treaty of Friendship,
Commerce and Navigation affords U.S. investors national treatment and
provides for the free movement of capital between the United States
and Germany. Taxation of U.S. firms within Germany is governed by a
protocol on the avoidance of double taxation.
*Law

Crime Rates 5.93 million crimes (down 2%
from 2009)
Prison Population 77,166
Punishments Fines and Jail Time
Court System 3 types of protection, Legal
System and Court System
Death Penalty Not Practiced
*Political Parties

*Germany has a multi-party system. Since 1945, three parties
have dominated German politics: the Christian Democratic
Union (CDU), with its southern sister party the Christian Social
Union (CSU) on the right, and the Social Democratic Party (SPD)
on the left.


*Individual Rights
*The constitution of Germany, the Grundgesetz, which came into effect in
1949, puts a strong emphasis on human rights.
*Freedom of speech is guaranteed by the constitution. However,
Volksverhetzung (incitement of the people) is a crime, its defined as
spreading hate against or insult against a part of the population. In 1994, a
paragraph explicitly forbidding denial of Nazi crimes was added.
*Open-air public rallies are allowed but generally require you to tell local
authorities before it takes place. Local authorities can prohibit rallies only
on grounds of public safety concerns or involvement of outlawed
organizations. The Press also have similar rights as the US.
*In Germany, you basically have freedom of religion. In most states, religious
education is obligatory. The curriculum is provided by the churches and
approved by the state. Smaller denominations and some other religious
minorities either co-operate with one of the big ones or may decide to
conduct classes outside school. Children who do not want to participate in
religious education are obliged to attend an alternative class called "ethics",
in which various issues of philosophy, society, and morals are discussed.


*Taxes & Government financing

*Germany does receive an income tax kind of like the
United States does.
*Germanys main sources of revenue include machinery,
vehicles, chemicals, metalsand manufactures, foodstuffs,
textiles.
*Military Spending 640 Billion (US) and 44.3 Billion
(Germany)
*Health Care Spending 8508 (US) and 4495 (Germany)
*Education Spending -