Question 46
Who elects the Federal Chancellor in Germany?
German original: Wer wählt die Bundeskanzlerin / den Bundeskanzler in Deutschland?. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- the Bundesrat
- the Bundesversammlung
- the people
- the Bundestag — Correct answer
Explanation
The Federal Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag (Art. 63 Basic Law). The Federal President proposes a candidate, and parliament votes. It is not a direct popular election.
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 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.
- Federal Chancellor — The Federal Chancellor is the head of government of the Federal Republic of Germany. They lead the federal government and set the main direction of government policy.
- Federal Chancellor (female) — The Federal Chancellor is the head of government of Germany. She leads the federal government and sets the political direction of the country.
- 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.
- 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.
- Chancellor — The Chancellor (Bundeskanzler) is the head of government in Germany. They lead the federal government and set the main political guidelines.
- German — German is the official language of Germany, Austria, and part of Switzerland. It is the native language of approximately 100 million people.