Comparative Politics 215



Comparative Politics 215 Part II

Kesselman, pgs. 166-170, A:CP10-09

A Divided Germany (1945-1990)

The Following Questions are True or False

1. The division of Germany into the Federal Republic in the West and the German Democratic Republic in the East was expected in 1945 because of early talks among the four major players. True or False

2. During and after the Occupation until the end of the Cold War, both Germany’s were free to decide their roles in international relations. True or False

3. Unlike many Western capitalist countries in the 1980s, West Germany's postwar welfare state retained many of its services and most of its public support. True or False

4. The Christian Democrats came back to power in 1982 under the leadership of Chancellor Helmut Kohl who formed a center-right coalition with the Free Democratic Party ((FDP). True or False

5. Distinct from the former Soviet Union, the GDR was a much more moderate, less bureaucratic regime tolerating elements of a free market and some forms of free speech. True or False

6. East Germany had the strongest economy among the Warsaw Pact countries. True or False

7. Unification of the two Germanys encountered few significant problems since the former communist country was the most advanced economically of the East Bloc countries, quickly adapting to a capitalist economy. True or False

8. Having experienced so much pain and suffering throughout the Cold War years, East Germans put the final nail on the coffin of the former East German Communist Party by making sure it would receive minimal votes in the 1998 election. True or False

9. Germany's leaders from Adenauer through Schroder have all been strongly opposed to European integration. True or False

10. Germany’s vocational educational system and integrated apprenticeship system have been less effective at producing highly qualified workers for the information sector. True or False

11 The most recent U.S. war with Iraq was supported by Germany, creating greater cooperation and solidarity between the two countries. True or False

12. Although Germany's independent political actions are constrained by the EU, many Europeans remain wary of Germany's international role. True or False

13. German political institutions, social forces, and patterns of life emphasize collective action rather than the individualism characteristic of the United States. True or False

The Following Questions are Multiple Choice

1. The emergence of the German center-right party, the Christian Democratic Party, ruled the FRG, alone or in coalition, in the beginning of the new republic for: a) 5 yrs, b) 10 yrs, c) 15 yrs, d) 20 yrs

2. In the first 40 years of its existence, the Federal Republic produced: a) slow economic growth with a stable political system, b) fast economic growth with an unstable political system, c) rapid economic growth with a stable political system, d) slow economic growth with an unstable political system.

3. The following was East Germany’s secret police, having an extensive system of surveillance that helped suppress open discussion and ruthlessly dealt with anyone considered a threat to the state: a) the Staci, b) the KGB, c) State Security Department, d)SAVAK.

4. How many new states (Lander) from East germany were incorporated into a reunited Germany? a) 4, b) 5, c) 7, d) 9

5. A system where the production of goods is determined by rigid government directives rather than free-market demands: a) coopted economy, b) organized structures, c) balanced cooperation, d) command economy.

6. How did Germany pay for the spiraling costs of reunification? a) The Kohl government followed the tried-and-true strategy of supply-side economics; it borrowed the money, b) it simply followed the Weimar strategy of simply printing up more German marks, c) Kohl slapped a unification tax on the West Germans, d) Kohl got and received international assistance from the former Soviet Union, the European Union, the U.S. and the OPEC nations.

7. In 1998, he was elected Chancellor with the support of the Green Party: a) Gerhard Schroder, b) Helmut Kohl, c) Frederick Schmidt, d) Gurgen Erhardt.

8. The physical elimination of 11 European national currencies in favor the following on Jan. 1, 2002: a) the dollar, b) the euro, c) the German mark, d) the British pound.

9. Member EU states cannot run deficits greater than? a) 3% of GDP, b) 5% of GDP, c) 6% of GDP, d) 8% of GDP.

10. Why were two German judges forced to release two Moroccans suspected of terrorist activities in 2004? a) the Schroder government despised the Bush administration’s war on terrorism, b) the U.S. refused to allow witnesses held in American jails to testify on behalf of the Moroccans, c) Al Qaida sent out a public pronouncement threatening Germany if the two were not immediately released, d) the Moroccan government interceded and promised political asylum and future travel restrictions for the accused.

11. In the late 19th century what compelled Germany to become an aggressive, acquisitive state? a) Germany was far ahead of its competitors, i.e., Britain and France, in its stage of industrial development, necessitating access to outside markets, b) Germany was late to unify, it was exposed geographically and it pursued fast economic growth combined with an awakened German nationalism, c) Germany had a highly developed political culture, but lacked a comparably effective nation-state requiring a diversion away from internal problems to outside pursuits, d) Germany realized that the quickest strategy for achieving industrialization was to create a more highly competitive environment by limiting and more fully separating the private sector from the public sector.

12. Which of the following characteristics best reflects the Modell Deutschland? a) A true laissez faire policy of isolating key economic actors to assure competitiveness and efficiency, b) strict hierarchical relations between of employee/employer interaction, c) close cooperation among the state, financial institutions and industrial interests, d) limited public-sector benefits to prevent state centralization.

13. What has been the electoral turnout among Germans since 1949? a) between 45% and 55%, b) between 66% and 76%, c) between 80% and 90%, d) between 87% and 97%

14. What is proof positive that Germany's collective identity is changing? a) SPD-Green coalition has altered Germany's restrictive immigration law to legitimize "non-ethnic" Germans, b) Labor unions have become seriously weakened as a result of the German people's frustration with socialism, c) Political party coalitions have given way to individual leadership control and direction, d) The once-vaunted social service system has been dramatically curtailed with the embrace of privatization.

The Following Questions are Fill-ins

1. What were some of the constraints imposed upon Germany by both the Allied and German officials during the occupation?

a) The powers of the _______ ______ were _______ in domestic politics; some of these powers were assumed by regional governments.

b) Western German reformers also rebuilt the party system, helping to create parties with more ______-______ interests and ideological considerations.

c) In 1946, the Roman Catholic and Protestant interests merged into the __________ __________ Party, a large center-right party.

2. What were some of the characteristics of the political system of the Federal Republic of Germany?

a) _______________ provisions for free elections

b) ______ liberties

c) ____________ rights and

d) an ____________ judiciary

3. Under Christian Democratic chancellors Konrad Adenauer (1949-1963) and Ludwig Erhard (1963-1966) the FRG saw the establishment of:

a) a new _____________ regime,

b) an extensive system of _______ ________ benefits,

c) a politically __________ _______ economy, and

d) the establishment of strong _________ governments

4. The constitution of the Federal Republic in 1949 was designed to overcome Weimar's shortcomings. These included:

a) a system of ___________,

b) constitutional provisions to encourage the formation and maintenance of ___________ and

c) a streamlined __________ ______ system.

5. Germany's significance for the study of comparative politics lies in several areas:

a) the contrast between its ______________ history and democratization in an integrating Europe;

b) its unique form of _________ ___________ that is neither state-led nor laissez-faire;

c) its successful form of representative democracy that combines widespread participation and representation of the entire ___________ in a stable parliamentary regime;

d) and a politics of _________ that builds on existing ________________ in an increasingly multifaceted political culture.

Answers

True or False Questions

1. False

3. True

5. False

7. False

9. False

11. False

13. True

Multiple Choice Questions

1. d

3. a

5. d

7. a

9. a

11. b

13. c

Fill-in Questions

1. a) central state, reduced, b)broad-based, c) Christian Democratic

3. a) parliamentary, b) social welfare, c) regulated market, d) regional

5. a) nationalistic, b) organized capitalism, c) electorate, d) identity, collectivities

A:CP10-09

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