TestZen · Einbürgerungstest · Practice

91. In Germany, a change of government in a Land (federal state) can affect federal policy. Governing becomes …

Official German wording

In Deutschland kann ein Regierungswechsel in einem Bundesland Auswirkungen auf die Bundespolitik haben. Das Regieren wird …

  1. schwieriger, wenn sich dadurch die Mehrheit im Bundestag ändert.
  2. leichter, wenn dadurch neue Parteien in den Bundesrat kommen.
  3. schwieriger, wenn dadurch die Mehrheit im Bundesrat verändert wird.
  4. leichter, wenn es sich um ein reiches Bundesland handelt.

Answer options

  1. more difficult if this changes the majority in the Bundestag (Federal Parliament).
  2. easier if, as a result, new parties enter the Bundesrat (Federal Council).
  3. more difficult if, as a result, the majority in the Bundesrat (Federal Council) is altered.
  4. easier if it is a wealthy Land (federal state).

Correct answer

more difficult if, as a result, the majority in the Bundesrat (Federal Council) is altered.

Explanation

Under Article 50 of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz, GG), the Länder participate in federal legislation through the Bundesrat; a change of government in a Land therefore alters that Land’s vote in the Bundesrat and can shift majorities. For consent laws, a Bundesrat majority is constitutive, and even for objection laws the Bundesrat can, via an objection and the Mediation Committee (Arts. 77, 78 GG), significantly impede governing. Historically, party‑political counter‑majorities in the Bundesrat—e.g., in the 1970s and again in the late 1990s—slowed or reshaped major reform projects. This reflects cooperative federalism and joint‑decision politics, which push the federal executive toward consensus‑oriented lawmaking.

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.