Parlamentarismus in der Bewährung. Der Deutsche Bundestag 1949–2020 / Parliamentarianism on Probation. The German Bundestag 1949–2020

At first glance, the German Bundestag is deeply rooted in Germany’s parliamentary tradition. Its organizational structure, practices and procedures build on its predecessors in many ways. However, in comparison with them, the Bundestag could substantially raise its position.

In nine concise chapters, the book covers the political weight of the Bundestag in the West German »chancellor democracy«, its subsequent transformations under changing parliamentary constellations, but also the challenges of the emerging media democracy. The final chapter discusses principles of parliamentary representation and the future of parliamentary democracy. From the beginning, the German Bundestag was a parliament on probation.