The German And American Electoral Systems

Running head: THE GERMAN AND AMERICAN ELECTORAL SYSTEMS 1

The German and American Electoral Systems

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THE GERMAN AND AMERICAN ELECTORAL SYSTEMS 2

The German and American Electoral Systems

The introduction of democracy changed the principles of governance and political

systems in various countries across the world. The origin of democracy can be traced back to the

ancient Greece and Athens where the people became tired of autocracy and monarchism systems

that were rarely concerned about the people’s affairs (Fletcher, 2016). Although all systems of

democracy possess similar attributes, they differ in how elections are conducted and how leaders

ascend to power. The USA and Germany are examples of two states which are democratic, but

each has unique political and electoral systems. Each of the systems has its distinguishing traits

that are beneficial or detrimental to the country’s political structure. This paper compares the

electoral systems in Germany and in the United States, and then considers whether the former’s

structure can provide certain benefits for the latter’s structure.

Germany’s Electoral System

The German system of voting consists of the Bundestag which allows the citizens to vote

directly for their preferred members. The Bundestag is a legislative institution that suggests and

implements new laws, elects a federal chancellor and provides control over the activities of the

government. After voting for delegates and parties, it is upon the selected Bundestag members to

appoint chancellor. Voting process greatly depends on the number of majority delegates and their

party affiliation. Appointing the federal chancellor is one of the primary responsibilities of the

Bundestag (Smith, Paterson, & Merki, 2016).

The chancellor is the head of the cabinet which has similar roles to the head of state,

while the president in Germany has limited powers and responsibilities. The electoral system

authorizes every voter to cast two votes: one for their preferred candidate while the second one to

enforce a favored party. This system ensures that the selected Bundestag is representative of the

THE GERMAN AND AMERICAN ELECTORAL SYSTEMS 3

majority’s interests, thereby, indicating the party preference of the whole nation. The system is

also based on a five percent rule whereby the chosen party must reach a minimum of the said

percentage to form a legislative group. The German electoral process has several advantages: the

system is easy to understand and it requires less administrative costs to be sustainable. Vote

counting is comfortable, and the second vote rule allows voters to express their affiliation to a

given political party leading to the formation of single-party leadership. The voting system also

discourages extremist ideologies.

American Electoral System

The elections in the United States are conducted in three categories: the state, the local,

and the federal. At the federal level, the people of each state vote indirectly for the president

through the Electoral College. The Electoral College has 538 electors who are determinants of

the choice of head of state and his or her deputy (Pattie & Johnston, 2014). The candidate who

receives over 270 votes lands the presidency. The Congress forms the federal legislative branch

which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate; the members are voted directly.

At the local level, people vote for city, county, village, borough, and town officials. Funding of

election campaigns is a controversial issue in the United States as private financing contributes to

major the bulk of contributions. The primary method of voting is based on declaring a winner

from the candidate tallying the highest number of votes. If a candidate does not clinch the

required votes, a round-two system of voting is activated (Pattie & Johnston, 2014). In the

United States, the president has far more powers, which exceed even that of the Chancellor of

German chancellor. Apart from being the head of state, the US president is also influential in

legislative matters. For example, the president can veto or pass any law or amendment approved

by the Congress.

THE GERMAN AND AMERICAN ELECTORAL SYSTEMS 4

Comparison of the Two Systems

In Germany, a candidate needs a relative presentation of parties in parliament to get a seat

while in the United States relative majority is the requirement to enter the parliament. This

means that in Germany more parties are represented during elections, but only the popular gets

the majority vote, thus, seeding a candidate into the said position (Schulze, 2017). In the

American system, only the democrats and the republicans are represented in appointive

positions, meaning that if a candidate is not a member of the either sides, then he or she cannot

get the chance to vie for the desired seat. To gain a position, one must get majority backing of

either of the two sides, while in the German system, the said aspect cannot guarantee a win to a

candidate. In Germany, campaigns are eligible for government funding, and parties get TV slots

to adverse their efforts. In addition, unlike the United States where political parties can micro-

target voters, this strategy is never applied in Germany, thereby ensuring a calm political

environment.

The similarity between the two states is that federal power is divided into a system of

checks and balances which has three arms: judiciary, legislative and executive (Watts, 2016).

The system of checks and balances regulates each of the branches to prevent the dominance of a

single arm. Besides, the elections are held every four years in both Germany and in the United

States. Each of the political parties in Germany has its ideologies and manifestos which are used

to appeal to the voters. In the United States, only the two primary political affiliations exist,

meaning that political opinions are limited.

What Advantages of the German System Are Proper for the United States

The German system would perfectly fit in the United States once implemented. The

system would guarantee a safer and more inclusive political environment. Partisan vitriol, image-

THE GERMAN AND AMERICAN ELECTORAL SYSTEMS 5

tarnishing adverts, and many fundraising requests from candidates hampers the American voting

system. In Germany, each of the political parties creates a 1.5-minute video whose airtime is

adjusted according to the votes garnered in the previous election (Schulze, 2017). In contrast, the

candidates in the US spend millions in promotional campaigns, most of which are aimed at

demeaning the opposition. The resources used for advertising and campaigning could be

allocated for other beneficial purposes that could develop the nation.

The US electoral system is configured such that only the rich can afford the candidature

while some innovative leaders without the financial resources might find it impossible to get the

slot. This means that citizens may be prompted to vote for wealthy but untrustworthy leaders just

because the situation favors them. Furthermore, if the leaders spend immense resources to fund

their campaigns, once they ascend to power, they focus on recovering their resources rather than

on the needs of the community (Pattie & Johnston, 2014). Such a system often leads to

ineffective leadership and lack of social development. Moreover, a campaign in Germany lasts

for six weeks, while in the United States, the officials start campaigning for future votes

immediately they are sworn in power. That is, a leader’s time in office in the US is limited since

one has to spend most time campaigning. In Germany, party primaries are not conducted because

all candidates are put on a list if they are from the same party.

Conclusion

Despite democracy being a preferred system of government in most of the nations across

the globe, its implementation differs in one way or the other as seen in various leadership

structures. The United States and Germany are examples of two democratic states with possess

different political and electoral structures, and which give ground for comparative efforts.

Though both countries’ electoral structures are unique, one is more efficient than the other. The

THE GERMAN AND AMERICAN ELECTORAL SYSTEMS 6

Germany political and electoral structure is far more superior and reliable than that of the United

States primarily on how it promotes political sanity and social development.

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References

Fletcher, A. (2016). Comic democracies: From Ancient Athens to the American republic.

Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Pattie, C.J., & Johnston, R.J. (2014). The electors shall meet in their respective states: Bias and

the US Presidential Electoral College 1960-2012. Political Geography, 40, 35-45.

Schulze, E. (2017, September 15). Baffled by the electoral college? Germany's system might be

more confusing. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/15/german-

elections-explained-chancellor-bundestag-voting-parties-and-merkel.html

Smith, G., Paterson W. E., & Merki P.H. (2016). Developments in west german politics. London,

UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Watts, R. L. (2016). Comparing Federal Political Systems. In A-G. Gagnon, S. Keil, & S.

Mueller, Understanding federalism, and federation (pp. 11-28). London, UK: Routledge.

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