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1.What is the traditional leaning of Angela Merkel's party?
Conservative
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Social Democratic
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Communist
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Green
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Some members of the Christian Democrats (CDU) are unhappy with what they perceive as a shift to the left, however they are still essentially the major center-right force in parliament.
2.What is the title of the head of government?
Prime Minister
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Kaiser
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General Secretary
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Chancellor
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3.Is the political structure of Germany centralized or federal?
Centralized
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Federal
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Similarly to the US, states are granted extensive powers.
4.What is the name of the German parliament?
Bundesrat
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Reichstag
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Bundestag
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5.What does "liberal" usually mean in German politics?
pro-environmental
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economically liberal
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left-wing
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6.Which electoral system does Germany have?
First-Past-the-Post
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Proportional Representation
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This means that ultimately, the distribution of seats depends on the popular vote.
7.Do smaller parties have a larger or smaller impact than in the US?
the same
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larger
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smaller
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All parties with at least 5% of the popular vote are granted seats in the parliament.
8.What is a "Great Coalition"?
An alliance between the two largest parties to form the government
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The partnership between France and Germany
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Another name for the reunification of 1990
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Usually, a coalition consists of a larger and a smaller party. However, the government has been formed by a Great Coalition in all but four years since 2005.
9.When is the National Day celebrated?
January 28 (victory in the Franco-Prussian War)
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October 31 (Reformation Day)
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October 3 (Reunification Date)
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November 9 (Fall of the Berlin Wall)
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10.What is "inviolable", according to the first sentence of the German constitution?
peackeeping
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free market economy
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human dignity
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the borders of the country
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11.The line "Germany above all" used to be part of the national anthem. What does it mean?
The divergent regions should put aside their interests for the sake of unity
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Germany is superior to other countries
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National pride should matter more than all private interests
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The lyrics were written in 1841, when Germany was separated into many duchies and kingdoms. The stanza containing this line was officially removed from the anthem in 1991.
12.When did Germany first become a republic?
1949
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1918
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1991
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1871
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The Weimar Republic was rather ill-conceived and instable, paving the way for the advent of the Third Reich in 1933.
13.Which of these parties has never been part of the government?
CSU (Christian Socialists; conservative)
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Greens
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AfD (Alternative for Germany; right-wing)
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The anti-immigrant party was formed in 2013 and entered the parliament in 2017. It regularly receives around 15% support in polls but other federal or state parties refuse to include it in governments - as of 2019.
14.The German president has about as much power as which foreign head of state?