TestZen · Einbürgerungstest · Practice

85. Who composes the German Bundesrat?

Official German wording

Wer bildet den deutschen Bundesrat?

  1. die Abgeordneten des Bundestages
  2. die Minister und Ministerinnen der Bundesregierung
  3. die Regierungsvertreter der Bundesländer
  4. die Parteimitglieder

Answer options

  1. the members of the Bundestag
  2. the ministers of the Federal Government
  3. the representatives of the governments of the Länder (federal states)
  4. the party members

Correct answer

the representatives of the governments of the Länder (federal states)

Explanation

Under Article 50 of the Basic Law, the Bundesrat participates in federal legislation and administration and in EU matters; it is the organ through which the Länder act at the federal level. Under Article 51, each Land government appoints and may recall its members (minister-president and state ministers), and a Land’s votes (at least three, up to six depending on population) must be cast uniformly. Unlike the Bundestag, the Bundesrat is not a popularly elected chamber but an intergovernmental representation of the Länder executives. Historically, it traces back to the Empire’s Bundesrat and the Weimar Reichsrat and entrenches federalism in the Basic Law.

Official sources

The German questions come from the original BAMF catalog for the Einbürgerungstest and Leben in Deutschland. Translations and explanations are study aids; verify legal details in the official sources.