Question 55
The more 'second votes' a party receives in a Bundestag election, the …
German original: Je mehr 'Zweitstimmen' eine Partei bei einer Bundestagswahl bekommt, desto …. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- the fewer first votes it can have.
- the more direct candidates of the party enter parliament.
- the greater the risk of having to form a coalition.
- the more seats the party receives in parliament. — Correct answer
Explanation
The second vote determines the proportional distribution of seats in the Bundestag. The more second votes a party receives, the more seats it gets. The first vote determines the direct candidate in the constituency.
Key terms in this question
- Federal Parliament — The Bundestag is the national parliament of Germany, made up of elected representatives. It passes laws and elects the Federal Chancellor.
- one / someone — 'Einer' is a German pronoun or article referring to a single, unspecified male person or thing, equivalent to 'one' or 'someone'.
- political party — A party is an organization in which people with similar political goals join together to participate in elections and influence political decisions.
- election — An election is a process in which people vote to choose a person or political party for a public office. It is a fundamental right in a democracy.
- 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.
- receives / gets — 'Bekommt' is the third person singular present tense of the verb 'bekommen', meaning that someone receives or gets something.
- Federal Parliament Election — The Bundestagswahl is the election in which German citizens vote every four years to choose the members of the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament.
- votes — Votes are the choices that citizens express in an election. They determine which party or person receives a political office.