The German Chancellor and the American President are each elected in to completely different systems that allow them completely different amounts of strength and power within their state’s government. A few key differences that set Angela Merkel’s job and ability to influence change within Germany that set her apart from George W. Bush’s influence over the United States include how they are elected, the ability to form coalitions and most importantly the accountability to the people that head’s of government are expected to uphold.
In Germany, voters on Election Day cast two votes, one for a local representative and another for a political party. This is a much more representative system than that of the United States. Elections are based on a plurality vote instead of a majority vote. In the United States, candidates only need 51% of the vote and only two major parties exist. In Germany, the plurality system allows small parties to win seats within the Bundestag. Local candidates can be much more accountable to their constituents, yet the major parties still have the opportunity to hold a large number of seats and thus a more powerful influence.
The creation of coalition parties also allows for legislation to be both more efficient as well as more middle of the line. The current coalition is a “grand coalition” consisting of the two largest parties. This is an extremely rare situation and Angela Merkel has shocked many around the world with her ability to keep the two parties together in a somewhat consistently civil relationship. Regardless, Angela Merkel has a much more powerful position than that of the George W. Bush because, in working with her coalition party, Chancellor Merkel helps to write the legislation. George W. Bush, however, does not.
The accountability of Angel Merkel lies largely to the German people as well as her party. George W. Bush is not concerned about a re-election for himself, therefore he can risk doing what is unpopular. More importantly, however, George W. Bush has to please the interest groups who paid to put him into office. Due to the way that the German versus American electoral system works, Chancellor Merkel has very few behind the scenes people to uphold election promises too than the U.S. president.
These reasons, among others allow for the German Chancellor to be much more influential than the American President. Neither system is perfect, however, the German system is much more representative and fairly distributes votes to its various political parties than the United States. Germans are presented with more options than those in the states who much vote Democrat or Republican. The system that has been established for the German people serves to prevent another extremist from taking over as well as to let the smaller voices be heard. Candidates do not have to worry about the support of interest groups, but instead in the faith of their party and its nomination as well as the faith of the German people in their party (as well as their coalition partner). Only time will tell exactly how the German system will pan out as well as what developing countries will replicate it for themselves. In the meantime, it is worth noting that the American “democratic system” seems little like a true democracy compared to that of the German’s.
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