129. In Germany, which of the following is elected directly by the people?

Answer options

1. the Federal Chancellor.
2. the Minister-President of a Land (federal state).
3. the Bundestag (Federal Parliament).
4. the Federal President.

Explanation

Under Article 20(2) of the Basic Law, all state authority emanates from the people; at the federal level, however, only the Bundestag is directly elected. The Federal Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag (Art. 63 GG), the Federal President by the Federal Convention (Art. 54 GG), and Minister-Presidents by the respective Land parliaments under state constitutions. Germany’s mixed-member proportional system (personalized proportional representation) combines single-member district mandates with proportional allocation via first and second votes to ensure representative legitimacy. This design reflects lessons from the Weimar Republic, where a directly elected Reich President could accumulate plebiscitary power.