Question 30
Who elects the members of the Bundestag in Germany?
German original: Wer wählt in Deutschland die Abgeordneten zum Bundestag?. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- the military
- the economy
- the eligible voting population — Correct answer
- the administration
Explanation
Members of the Bundestag are elected by eligible voters (Art. 38 Basic Law). Neither the government nor business interests determine who becomes a member; that is exclusively for voters to decide.
Key terms in this question
- Germany — Germany is a country in central Europe with a parliamentary democracy. It is a member of the European Union and its capital is Berlin.
- Federal Parliament — The Bundestag is the national parliament of Germany, made up of elected representatives. It passes laws and elects the Federal Chancellor.
- the members of parliament / the deputies — Members of parliament are elected representatives of the people who work in the parliament to make political decisions and pass laws.
- Member of Parliament / Representative — A Member of Parliament is a person elected by the people to represent them in parliament and participate in passing laws.
- Federal state — A federal state is one of the 16 regions that together form Germany. Each state has its own government, parliament, and areas of responsibility.
- the Federal Government / the Federation — The Federation refers to the central level of government in Germany, as opposed to the individual federal states (Länder). It is responsible for matters that affect the whole country, such as foreign policy or national defense.
- Members of Parliament / Deputies — Members of Parliament are elected representatives of the people who work in a legislative body (e.g. the Bundestag) to make political decisions and pass laws.
- elects / votes for — 'Wählt' is the third person singular of 'wählen' (to elect/vote) and means that someone chooses a person or party through a vote. In a democracy, the people elect their political representatives.