93. The more “second votes” (Zweitstimmen) a party receives in a federal election to the Bundestag, the …

Answer options

1. 1. the more seats the party obtains in Parliament.
2. 2. the fewer first votes it may have.
3. 3. the more of the party’s direct candidates enter Parliament.
4. 4. the greater the risk of having to form a coalition.

Explanation

Under Germany’s system of personalized proportional representation (Art. 38 Basic Law; Federal Electoral Act), the “second vote” determines the proportional allocation of seats to parties via the Sainte-Laguë/Schepers method, provided a party clears the 5 percent threshold or the basic mandate clause. The “first vote” only decides constituency direct mandates; a party’s overall seat total is governed by its share of second votes, adjusted by overhang and compensatory seats to safeguard the constitutional principles of electoral equality and proportionality. This design reflects lessons from Weimar-era fragmentation and has been refined by Federal Constitutional Court jurisprudence (e.g., on negative vote weight) and recent electoral-law reforms.