124. The Bundestag election in Germany is the election of …

Answer options

1. of the Federal Chancellor.
2. of the parliaments of the Länder (state parliaments).
3. of the Parliament of Germany (the Bundestag).
4. of the Federal President.

Explanation

Under Article 38(1) of the Basic Law, the Bundestag is elected by universal, direct, free, equal, and secret suffrage; accordingly, the federal election is the election of the federal parliament. By contrast, the Federal Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag on the Federal President’s proposal (Art. 63 GG), and the Federal President by the Federal Convention (Art. 54 GG). The parliaments of the Länder (Landtage and city-state assemblies) are chosen in separate Land elections. Historically, Germany’s mixed-member proportional system combines majoritarian and proportional elements to balance representation and governability in light of Weimar-era instability.