POL 100 Exam #3: Fall 2018 Due Date: November 19 @11:59 PM via Canvas—late work will be accepted but a penalty of 5 points a day will be assessed for each day late Total—125 points From The Economist Oct. 20, 2018 “China and America: The rivals (10 points) 1. For 10 points write a two paragraph description and list 5 main points from the cover story of the Oct. 20 Economist on the rivalry between the United States and China. (10 points) From the PowerPoint: Western Europe (25 points) 1. From the video “How Germany Votes” describe how members are elected to the German Bungestag. What were the results of the election in Germany in September 17, 2018? Define “grand coalition.” What policies does the Alternative for Germany party endorse? (5 points) 2. What is proportional representation and why was it adopted in Germany? (5 points) 3. What are the two houses of the British parliament? Who is the current Prime Minister in the United Kingdom and what were the results of the May 7, 2017 elections? Define the term “coalition government” and what coalition is now heading the government in the United Kingdom? (5 points) 4. Who is the current Prime Minister in Italy? Describe the coalition that governs in Italy today? (5 points) 5. Describe the new government that was formed in Spain in June 2018. Who is the new Prime Minister? Describe the March 8 movement in Spain. How does that movement reflect his choice of cabinet ministers? What is his view on the EU and has is that view different than the new government in Italy? (5 points) From Class Discussion and YouTube video (5 points) 1. In class discussion, and viewing of a YouTube video, describe Vladimir Putin. From his background what would be his worldview and how would that view be different from the American presidents that he has negotiated with? What threats does he see for the Russian Federation? (5 points) From The PowerPoint: The Middle East Shatterbelt (35 points) 1. From the YouTube video “Why Israelis and Palestinians both claim Jerusalem” what is the different view of Jerusalem from Israel and the Palestinian Authority? (5 points) 2. What was the “Arab Spring?” What were some of the uprising successes and what are its most notable failures? (5 points) 3. What is the Arab League? When was it founded and why was the organization first founded? (5 points) 4. What is the OIC? What is it mission? What role does the Islamic Development Bank play? (5 points) 5. What is OPEC? When was it founded? How does OPEC operate? What are the largest countries in the Middle East with known oil reserves? (5 points) 6. How many members are in the Israeli Knesset? What are the two largest political parties now in Israel? (5 points) 7. Describe the political situation in Turkey. What type of a government does it have? What are the two largest political parties in Turkey today? List the major challenges faced by Turkey government and President Recep Tayyip Endogan in 2017-18 ?(5 points) Part I: Middle East (total 15 points) From the YouTube video “Israeli Settlements Explained” 1. What are the settlements on the West Bank? Why does the international community view them as illegal? Why is it considered an impediment to a peace agreement? How many people live in the settlements? Why do so many people live in the settlements? Howe does Israel entice them to settle there? How much land is used for the settlements? (5 points) 2. In the settlements what law applies to the Israel settlers and what law governs the Palestinians living there? Explain the difference. ( 5 points) From the YouTube videos “”The Wall? Israel’s response to Palestinian terror” and “Israel’s Wall: Security or Apartheid?” 1. Compare and contrast the Israeli and Palestinian view of the wall built to separate Israel and the Palestine in the West Bank. After reviewing the videos—is it a “security fence” or an “apartheid wall?” (5 points) From The Economist Oct. 6, 2018 (5 points) 1. In the article “Middle East Security: NATO for Arabs” what are the goals of a Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA)? What is the main obstacle to the forming of MESA? (5 points) Write a paragraph describing each of the following YouTube Caspian Reports: (25 Points) 1. Saudi Arabia Geopolitics (17:32) 2. Origins of the Israeli Palestinian Conflict (9:58) 3. Iran Israel proxy war (11:16) 4. Geopolitics of Turkey (10:56) 5. Geopolitics of Iran (6:55) Current Events (5 points) 1) Write a two paragraph review of the 60 minutes report from October 28 titled “What remains to be done in the final phase of America’s War on ISIS?” (5 points) The Middle East Shatterbelt Northern Africa and Southwestern Asia The Middle East Shatterbelt • The Middle East is a shatterbelt, rent by the deep divisions within and between its sovereign states and peoples and further magnified by great power competition. Internal divisions are deep and widespread. When some rifts are healed, others open up to keep the region in turmoil. • Sunni and Shia Muslims, Jews, and Christians; Arabs, Turks, and Persians; Azeris, Kurds, and Druze; Uzbeks, Tajiks, and Pashtuns; Alawites and Maronites; Nilotic blacks and Sudanese Arabs; Bedouins and farmers; religious fundamentalists and secularists– all are part of the human landscape of the Middle East. The Middle East • The ethnic, religious, and racial strife engendered by these schisms is further intensified by disputes over scare commodities of water and arable land and conflicting claims over oil and natural gas resources. • The “Arab Spring” of December 2010 has not brought peace and democracy to the region. Instead, the dictatorships that were toppled were replaced by regimes that were fragmented and chaotic, especially in Egypt, Libya, and Syria, followed by the rise of ISIS. • The location of the Middle East at the junction of the Old World’s three continents has long given global strategic importance to its water and land transit ways. These transit ways, as well as the vast petroleum and natural gas reserves of the region, are the magnets that now draw outside powers to the region. The Middle East– Global Significance • Following a medieval history of trading connections across Asia, eastern Africa, and the Indian Ocean, Europeans monopolized the region’s extension of trade and political dominance from the 1800s. • The discovery of oil and the founding of new countries after World War I brought the region into world prominence again. Its significance affected World War II strategies and grew with a huge postwar rise in the demand for oil. Wars between the Arab countries and Israel, and the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, added to that significance. Middle East– Pan-Arabism • In the mid and late 1900s, post independence movements, generally opposed to Western economic colonialism, sought to unite Arab peoples on the basis of (mostly secular) nationalism into a single country with increased world influence. None succeeded in uniting the Arab world, through their efforts are noteworthy. • The Arab League was created in 1945 to encourage the united opposition of Arab countries to the establishment of Israel. Its seven founding members were the only independent Arab countries at the time, but its membership increased to 21 as more gained independence. The members of the Arab League eventually included the Palestinian Liberation Organization, a political umbrella for many smaller groups that demand a country for the Palestinians. Middle East • As the moves toward unification of Arab countries died away, links through the Islamic religion began to replace them. In 1970 foreign ministers of Muslim countries set up the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which now has 45 members, including such countries as Pakistan, Indonesia, and Nigeria. One of the OIC’s most important affiliates is the Islamic Development Bank, which is dedicated to economic development among OIC members. Middle East-- OPEC • From the early 1900s, international oil companies kept oil prices low to consumers in the world’s wealthiest countries by paying little to the producing countries. In 1960 the producers around the Persian Gulf, together with Venezuela, formed the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). OPEC’s main purpose is to work as a cartel– an organization that coordinates the interests of producing countries by regulating oil prices. • The top 5 counties in the Middle east with the most known oil reserves are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, UAE, and Kuwait Middle East– Water Politics • Much attention is given to oil, but the issue of water is crucial in this arid region of the world. Like oil, however, water is not evenly distributed. Eighty percent of the region’s fresh water is found in the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates River basins. The Jordan River, through much smaller, is crucial to countries that depend on it. • Conflict may increase as fresh water scarcity is becoming more of an issue as populations grow rapidly. Between 1975 and 2010, the amount of fresh water available to each individual dropped by more than half. Sub-regions– North Africa • The four countries of North Africa are Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. • Over 80% of Algeria’s and Libya’s territories are desert, but Morocco and Tunisia do not extend so far into the arid Saharan environment • The northern parts of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia are dominated by the Atlas Mountains, and that area is known as the Maghreb • North Africa faces Europe across the Mediterranean Sea. Many of its past political ties and present economic links are northward to Spain, France, and Italy. Government in North Africa • Politics of Algeria takes place in a framework of a constitutional presidential republic, whereby the President of Algeria is the head of state and the Prime Minister of Algeria is the head of government. • Algeria has been called a “controlled democracy”, or a state where the military and “a select group” of unelected civilians – reportedly known to Algerians as “le pouvoir” (“the power”) – make major decisions, such as who should be president. • President of Algeria is Abdelaziz Boutefilka, whose has been in office since April 27, 1999. The Prime Minister is Abdelmalek Sellal, who has been PM since April 28, 2014. Government in Libya • Libya is a mostly desert and oil-rich country with an ancient history, has more recently been known for the 42 year rule of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and the chaos that followed his departure. • Libya was under foreign rule for centuries until it gained independence in 1951. Soon after oil was discovered and earned the country immense wealth. • Colonel Gaddafi seized power in 1969 and ruled for four decades until he was toppled in 2011 following an armed rebellion assisted by Western military intervention. • In recent years the country has been a key springboard for migrants heading to Europe. Government in Libya • The toppling of Gaddafi led to a power vacuum and instability, with no authority in full control • The National Transitional Council, a rebel leadership council which had fought to oust the Gaddafi government, declared Libya “liberated” in October 2011 and took over running the country • In August 2012 the NTC handed power to the General National Congress, an elected parliament which went on to select an interim head of state. • Voters chose a new parliament in June 2014– the Council of Representatives, which relocated to Tobruk Politics of Morocco • Politics of Morocco take place in a framework of a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Morocco is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. • On June 17, 2011 King Mohammed VI announced a series of reforms that would transform Morocco into a constitutional monarchy. • King Mohammed VI has been the head of state since July 23, 1999. The Prime Minister of Morocco is Abdelilah Benkirane of the Justice and Development Party and has been PM since Nov. 29, 2011 Politics of Tunisia • Tunisia is a democratic constitutional republic, with a President serving as head of state, Prime Minister as head of government, a unicameral legislature and a court system influenced by French civil law. The president is Beji Caid Essebsi and the Prime Minister is Habib Essid • Between 1956 and 2011, Tunisia operated as a defacto single party state, with politics dominated by the secular Constitutional Democratic Rally, under former Presidents Habib Bourgiba and then Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. In 2011, an uprising led to the ouster of the president and the dismantling of the RCD. October 2014 saw the first democratic elections since the 2011 revolution resulting in a win by the secularist Nidaa Tounes party with 85 seats in the 217 – member assembly. Nile River Valley • Egypt and Sudan share some similarities, but their geographic positions, political environments, and products provide contrasts. Egypt is the largest Arab country by population and one of the foremost in international relations. It retains control of the Suez Canal. It also controls the Sinai Peninsula, which is the land route from Africa into Southwestern Asia. By contrast, Sudan has twice the area of Egypt but only half the population. Politics in Egypt • The year 1952 marked a turning point in Egypt’s modern history. After centuries of Ottoman and then British domination, Egypt exercised its full independence and became a socialist state with new priorities focused on its own internal needs. • From 1952 to 2011 Egypt was politically dominated by three men. President Gamel Abdul Nasser was president from 1952 to his death in 1970. His successor, Anwar Sadat, was president from 1970 till his assassination in 1981. His successor., Hosni Murbarek was president from the death of Sadat till he was ousted in the 2011 “Arab Spring.” Politics of Egypt • The politics of Egypt is based on republicanism, with a semipresidential system of government. • Following the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, and the resignation of President Hosni Murbarek, executive power was assumed by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which dissolved the parliament and suspended the constitution. In 2012, Mohammed Morsi was elected Egypt’s fifth president but was deposed by army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who was subsequently elected as Egypt’s sixth president in 2014. Politics in Sudan • Officially, the politics of Sudan takes place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, where the President of Sudan is the Head of State, Head of Government, and Commanderin- Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces in a multi-party state. Legislative power is vested in both the government and in the two chambers, the National Assembly (lower) and the Council of States (upper), of the bicarmel National Legislature. The judiciary is independent. However, following a deadly civil war and the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan is widely recognized as an authoritarian state where all effective political power is obtained by President Omar al-Bashir and the ruling National Congress Party. South Sudan • The Republic of South Sudan is the world’s youngest nation. It is the 193rd member of the United Nations and the 54th member of the African Union. The country gained independence on July 9, 2011 following a self determination referendum in which citizens overwhelmingly voted for total autonomy from the then Sudan. The referendum, conducted in January 2011, was one of the provisions of the Comphrehensive Peace agreement signed in 2005. The CPA ended one of Africa’s longest civil wars in which many lives were lost. Arab Southwest Asia • Arab Southwest Asia is the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds. It comprises the Arabian Peninsula and the Fertile Crescent that incudes the Tigrus- Euphrates River basin and the Lebanon coast. The world centers of Islam that are Muslim pilgrimage sites are located in the Arabian Peninsula at Mecca, where Mohammed was born in A.D. 570, and at Medina, which became his power base after he was expelled from Mecca. Despite having few people, the countries of this subregion play a major part in world affairs because of their oil wealth and involvement in the Arab- Israeli peace process. Politics in Israel • Elections for the 20th Knesset were held in Israel on March 17, 2015. Disagreements within the governing coalition, particularly over the budget and a “Jewish state” proposal, led to the dissolution of the government in December 2014. The Labor Party and Hatnuah formed a coalition, called Zionist Union, with the hope of defeating the Likud party, which had led the previous governing coalition. • The incumbent Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud, declared victory in the election with Likud picking up the highest number of votes. His Likud party formed the coalition with the Jewish Home, United Torah Judaism, Kulanu, and Shas, with the bare minimum 61 seats. Politics in Israel • The following are the largest political parties represented in the 120 seat Knesset. • Likud 30, Zionist Union 24, Joint List 13, Yesh Atid 11, Kulanu 10, The Jewish Home 8, Shas 7, Yisrael Beiteinu 6, United Torah Judaisim 6, Meretz 5. • The 120 seats in the Knesset are elected by proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency. The electoral threshold for the 2015 elections was 3.23%. Turkey • Politics in Turkey takes place in a framework of a strictly secular parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Turkey is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The President of Turkey is the head of state who holds a largely ceremonial role but with substantial reserve powers. • Turkey’s political system is based on a separation of powers. Executive power is exercised by the Council of Ministers. Legil;ative power is vested in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legialture. Popularity of political leaders has an independent effect on party preference and Turkish politics. Turkey • Turkey is a parliamentary democracy with a multi-party system. Major parties are defined as political parties that received more than 10% of the votes in the latest general election and/or represented in parliament. • The largest political parties in Turkey are: • Justice and Development Party 317 MPs, center-right, right wing • Republican People’s Party 134 MPs, center-left • Nationalist Movement Party 40 MPs, Far-right • People’s Democratic Party 59 MPs, Left-wing Turkey • The President of Turkey is the head of state of the Republic of Turkey. The Presidency is largely a ceremonial office but has some important functions. In this capacity, the President represents the Republic of turkey, and the unity of the Turkish nation, as well as ensuring the implementation of the Constitution of Turkey. • The office of the President of Turkey was established with the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923. • The current office holder is the 12th President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has been president since August 28, 2014. Turkey • The Prime Minister of Turkey is the head of government of Turkey. The prime minister is the leader of a political coalition in the Turkish parliament and the leader of the cabinet. • Ahmet Davutoglu was chosen to be the country’s prime minister in August 2014, replacing Recep Tayyip Erdogan who was to become President of Turkey on August 28, 2014. Iran • The politics of Iran take place in a framework of a theocracy in a format of Syncretic politics that is guided by an Islamist ideology. The December 1979 constitution, and its 1989 amendment, define the political, economic, and social order of the Islamic Repiblic of Iran, declaring that Shia Islam of the Twelver school of thought is Iran’s official religion. • Iran has an elected president, parliament (or Majlis), “Assembly of Experts” (which elects the supreme Leader) , and local councils. According to the constitution all candidates running for these positions must be vetted by the Guardian Council before being elected. In addition, there are representatives elected to “protect the state’s Islamic character”. Iran • The most powerful political office in the Islamic Republic is that of the Supreme Leader, of which there have been two: the founder of the Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and his sucessor, Ali Khamenei. The Supreme Leader is appointed and supervised by Assembly of Experts. The Assembly of Experts is a publicly elected body, given that the right to stand as a candidate is severely limited by the Guardian Council consisting of six clerics appointed by the Supreme Leader. • The Supreme Leader is the Head of state with some Executive powers related to Defense, Religious Affairs, and Guardian Council. Iran • The Constitution defines the President as the highest state authority after the supreme Leader. The President is elected by universal suffrage, by those 18 years or older, for a term of 4 years. Presidential candidates must be approved by the Council of Guardains prior to running. After being elected, the president must be appointed by the Supreme Leader. • Hassan Rouhani is the seventh President of Iran, in office since 2013. He is also a former lawmaker, academic and former diplomat. He has been a member of Iran’s Assembly of experts since 1999. Europe Western Europe, NATO, European Union Maritime Europe “Maritime Europe” aptly describes the human habitat that lies within the western peninsular and the insular reaches of Eurasia, where European civilization evolved. This civilization is the culmination of over two millennia of development, from the Greek city-state and the Roman code of law, to the eras of feudalism and empires, to the modern nation-state, and now to the European Union. NATO and the European Union • The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defense whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. NATO’s headquarters are located in Haren, Brussels, in which the always American Supreme Allied Commander also resides. Belgium is one of 28 member states across North America and Europe, the newest of which, Albania and Croatia, joined in April 2009. The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70 percent of the global total. NATO • Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, requiring member states to come to the aid of any member state subject to an armed attack, was invoked for the first and only time after the September 11, 2001 attacks, after which troops were deployed to Afghanistan under the NATO- led ISAF (International Security Assistance Force). • The less potent Article 4, which merely invokes consultation among NATO members, has been invoked 5 times : by Turkey in 2003 over the Iraq War; twice in 2012 by Turkey over the Syrian Civil War; in 2014 by Poland, following the Russian intervention in Crimea; and again by Turkey in 2015 after threats by the Islamic State to its territorial integrity. EUROPEAN UNION • The European Union is a politico-economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The EU operates through a system of supranational institutions and intergovernmentalnegotiated decisions by the member states. The institutions are : the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the European Court of Auditors, and the European Parliament. The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens. European Union • The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community, formed by the Inner Six countries in 1951 and 1958, respectively. In the intervening years, the community and its successors have grown in size by the accession of new member states and by the addition of policy areas to its remit. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union under its current name in 1993 and introduced European Citizenship. The latest major amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009. European Union • Covering 7.3% of the world population, the EU in 2014 generated a nominal GDP of 18.495 trillion US dollars, constituting approximately 24% of global nominal GDP and 17% when measured in terms of purchasing power parity. Additionally, 26 out of 28 EU countries have a very high Human Development Index. • In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. • The EU maintains permanent diplomatic missions throughout the world and represents itself at the UN, the WTO, the G8, and the G-20. Because of its global influence, the EU has been described as a current or as a potential superpower. BREXIT • For decades, the United Kingdom has had an ambivalent and sometimes contentious relationship with the European Union. London has keep its distance from Brussels’ authority by negotiating opt-outs from some of the EU’s central policies, including the common euro currency. Even still, the EU’s faltering response to recent crisis has fueled a renewed Euroscepticism. Advocates for a British exit, or Brexit, from the union argued that by reclaiming its national sovereignty, the UK would be better able to manage immigration, free itself from onerous regulations, and spark more dynamic growth. BREXIT • After the victory of the Leave campaign in a June 2016 referendum on the UK’s future in the bloc, the risks of separating from the EU became clearer. With financial markets in tumult and the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron, the UK now faces the possibility of losing preferential access to its leading trading partner, the disruption of its large financial sector, a protracted period of political uncertainty, and the breakup of the UK itself. Meanwhile Brexit could accelerate nationalist movements across the continent, from Scotland to Hungary, with unpredictable consequences for the European project. WHAT HAPPENS NOW THAT THE BRITISH PEOPLE HAVE VOTED LEAVE? • The UK’s situation is unprecedented: No full member of the EU has ever left. (Greenland, a territory of Denmark, left in 1982) • Under Article 50 of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty, the UK has a two-year period to negotiate its withdrawal. However, despite the Leave vote the UK government has yet to invoke Article 50, fostering deep uncertainty over the Brexit timeline. • Once negotiations begin, they are extremely complex. The UK will need to determine numerous transitional procedures for disentangling itself from EU regulations, settling the status of the millions of UK citizens residing in the EU, and deciding the future UK-EU security cooperation. The final withdrawal must be approved by a supermajority of EU countries, as well by the European Parliament. Western Europe • Western Europe includes the following countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Austria, and Switzerland. • Located primarily along the maritime edges of Europe, Western European countries exerted their independence early in history. Coupled with technological innovation, such independence allowed Western Europe to dominate international relations and the global economy from the 1600s to the early 2000s. Western Europe • France is one of Europe’s older and most powerful and influential countries. Beginning with the Capet family in the 900s and its small family holdings around Paris, the country grew over the centuries, becoming a nation-state soon after the French Revolution in 1789. • The French Revolutionary expression of “liberty, equality, and fraternity” inspired other revolutions in Europe. • The French bring a strong sense of individuality to their nationalism, and France has a very centralized form of government with most decisions made in Paris. • In 1982 the central government created 22 provinces called “regions” and granted them considerable autonomy. Government of French Republic • Established: 1958 (Fifth Republic) • State: French Republic • Leader: Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, appointed PM by President Emmanuel Marcon on May 15, 2017 (Reports to the President of the Republic and to Parliament) • Appointed by: President of the Republic Emmanuel Marcon, elected president in May 2017, serving a 5 year term ending in May 2022. • Main Organ: Council of Ministers President of France • The President of the French Republic is the executive head of state of the French Fifth Republic. • The current President of France is Emmanuel Marcon, who took office on May 15, 2017. • After the Referendum on the Reduction of the Mandate of the President of the French Republic, 2000, the length of the term was reduced from seven years to five years. Following a further change, the Constitutional law on the Modernization of the Institutes of the Fifth Republic, 2008, a president cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. President of France • French presidential elections are conducted via run-off voting which ensures that the elected President always obtains a majority: if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the first round of voting, the two highest-scoring candidates arrive at a run-off. • The president may dissolve the French National Assembly • The president is the Commander-in-Chief of the French Armed Forces • The president may order the use of nuclear weapons • The president appoints the Prime Minister and presides over the Council of Ministers Political Parties in France • France has a multi-party political system • On the center-left, one led by the Socialist Party with minor parties such as Europe Ecology– The Greens, the Left Party, and the Radical Party of the Left • On the center-right, one led by The Republicans (and previously its predecessors, the Union for a Popular Movement, Rally for the Republic) and the Union for French Democracy, with support from the New Center Political Parties of France • The previous slide was the case until the 2017 legislative elections, when Emmanuel Marcon’s party, La Republique En Marchel, won a majority in parliament. This caused a political upset, as it was the first time in French history when one of the two main contemporary parties had not won. • Another party that has had sizable successes is the National Front (FN). Since 2014, the FN has established itself as the third sizable party, finishing in first place in the 2014 European elections as well as the 2015 local elections. Now many political observers talk about the “tripartism” of the French political landscape. In the 2017 presidential election, Emmanuel Marcon of En Marchel defeated Marine Le Pen (FN). Germany • Germany is a republic with a parliamentary democracy and a bicarmel system of government. The Federal Government consists of the Chancellor and his or her ministers who are drawn from the members of the Bundestag. The ministers usually belong to the parties who form the ruling coalition. • The Bundestag is made up of representatives elected by the German people. Elections to the Bundestag take place every four years. Politics of Germany • Germany is a democratic, federal parliamentary republic. There is a multiparty system that, since 1949, has been dominated by the two largest parties, the Social Democratic Party of Germany(SPD) and the Christian Democratic Union(CDU), with its sister party, the Christian Social Union(CSU) in the sane parliamentary group, also known as DCU/CSU or the Union. • The following are the largest political parties represented in the Bundestag after the election in September 2017: Christian Democratic Union (centerright, 246 seats, CDU 200 plus 46 from Christian Social Union in Bavaria); Social Democratic Party (center-left, 153 seats); Alternative for Germany (right-wing to far-right, 92 seats) Free Democratic party (center to centerright, 80 seats); The Left (left-wing, 69 seats); Alliance 90/The Greens (center-left, 69 seats); The Blue Party (right-wing, 1 seat). Politics of Germany • Germany has a number of minor parties, most importantly The Left, and Alliance ‘90/The Greens. The federal government of Germany usually consisted of a major and a minor party, most typically CDU/CSU and Free Democratic Party (FDP), or a ‘red-green alliance’ of the SPD and Greens. • From 1966 to 1969, from 2005 to 2009 and again since 2013, the federal government consisted of a Grand Coalition. In modern Germany, grand coalition describes a governing coalition of the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats, as they as the two largest parties. Politics in Germany • Proportional representation characterizes electoral systems by which divisions are reflected proportionately in the elected body. If 30% of the electorate support a particular political party, then roughly 30% of seats will be won by that party. • The German federal election system regulates the election of the members of the German Bundestag. • Germans are electing their Members of Parliament with two votes in mixed-member proportional elections. One vote is for a direct candidate. The second vote is for electoral lists fro every state of Germany lined up and ordered by the parties to gain proportional representation. President and Chancellor of Germany • The President of Germany, officially the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of state of Germany. • Under Article 59 of the Basic Law (German Constitution), the Federal President represents the Federal Republic of Germany in matters of international law, concludes treaties with foreign states on its behalf and accredits diplomats. Furthermore, all federal laws must be signed by the President before they can come into effect. • The Federal President represents the state itself, its existence, its legitimacy, and unity. • The current officeholder is Frank-Walter Steinmeier, since March 19, 2017. Chancellor of Germany • The Chancellor of Germany is the head of government of Germany. • In German politics the Chancellor is equivalent to that of a prime minister in many other countries. • The current Chancellor is Angela Merkel, who is serving her fourth term in office. She is the first female chancellor. • The role of the Chancellor has varied greatly throughout Germany’s modern history. Today, the Chancellor is widely considered to be the country’s effective leader. Government of the United Kingdom • The UK is a constitutional monarchy in which the reigning monarch (that is, the King or Queen who is the Head of State at any given time) in practice does not make any political decisions. All political decisions are taken by the government and Parliament. • In the UK, the Prime Minister leads the government with the support of the Cabinet and ministers. • Parliament is the highest legislative authority in the UK. It has the responsibility for checking the work of government and examine, debating and approving new laws. Government of the United Kingdom • A political party that wins an overall majority in the House of Commons at a general election forms the new government and its leader becomes Prime Minister. • If no party wins a majority of the seats then the largest party may form a minority government or there can be a coalition government of two or more parties. • The government needs to retain the confidence of a majority in the House of Commons. If the House votes to indicate that it has no confidence in the government, then a General Election would be called if a confidence motion in the new government was not passed within 14 days of the original no confidence motion. Government of United Kingdom • Her Majesty’s Government, commonly referred to as the British government, is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. • The government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining ministers. The prime minister and the other most senior decision-making committee, known as the Cabinet. • The current prime minister is Teresa May, the leader of the Conservative Party, which was elected to government in its own right in the general election on May 7, 2017. Prime Minister May replaced David Cameron as Prime Minister after the June 2016 vote in the UK to exit from the EU. Prior to this, Cameron and the Conservatives led a coalition government from 2010 to 2015 with the Liberal Democrats, in which Cameron was prime minister. A coalition government is a government made up of two or more parties. Political Parties in the United Kingdom • In the House of Commons there are 650 seats. The following are the largest political parties in the UK and the number of seats they have in the current parliament. • Conservative 318, Labour 262, Scottish National Party 35, Liberal Democrats 12, Democratic Unionist Party 10, Sinn Fein 7, Plaid CymruParty of Wales 4, Green Party. • Coalition Partners– Conservative and Democratic Unionist Party agreed to a “confidence and supply” agreement. The DUP agree to back the Conservatives in key votes– such as the budget and confidence motion– but are not tied into supporting them on other measures. • The Leader of Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition is the politician who leads the official opposition in the United Kingdom. The current Leader of the Opposition is Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party. Head of Governments in Western Europe • Belgium– Prime Minister Charles Michel (2014- present) • Republic of Ireland– Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (2017- present) • Luxembourg – Prime Minister Xavier Bettel (2013- present) • Prime Minister of the Netherlands– Mark Rutte (2010- present) • Chancellor of Austria– Sebastian Kurz (2017- present) • Switzerland– Switzerland has no PM or President but has a sevenmember executive. Elected by the Federal Assembly for one year, the President of the Confederation chairs the meetings of the Federal Council and undertakes special representative duties. The incumbent president is Alain Berset (2018). Northern Europe • The following countries make up Northern Europe: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. • Denmark retains close ties with Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, which were all part of it at one time. • Sweden has not engaged in war since 1812 • Norway is a mountainous country with limited farmland. The Norwegians are proud of the Viking heritage and their seafaring ways • Finland was within the Swedish kingdom from 1100-1809, when it became a Russian possession. Finnish independence was declared in 1917 Northern Europe • Denmark– The political system of Denmark is that of a multi-party structure, with several parties represented in the parliament (Folketinget). Nine parties are represented in parliament . The four oldest parties are the Conservative People’s Party, the Social Democrats, Venstre (“Left”, a conservative-liberal party) and the Danish Social Liberal Party. Newer parties include the nationalist far-right Danish People’s Party and the far left Red-Green Alliance. Elections are held at least every four years. • Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Margrethe II has been the head of state since 1972. The current Prime Minister of Denmark is Lars Lokke Rasmussen. He leads a coalition consisting of Venstre, Danish People’s Party, Liberal Alliance, and the Conservative People’s Party. Northern Europe • Finland is a parliamentary representative democracy. The head of state is President Sauli Niinsto, who leads the nation’s foreign policy and is Supreme Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces. Finland’s head of government is the Prime Minister, who leads the nation’s executive branch, called the Finnish Government. The Prime Minister is Juha Sipila, who took office on May 28, 2015. • Iceland is a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President is head of state, while the Prime Minister serves as the head of government. The incumbent president since August 2016 is Guoni Johannessom, and the Prime Minister is Katrin Jakobsdottir of the Left- Green Movement. She has been PM since November 30, 2017. Northern Europe • Norway is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is King Harald V, since 1991. The head of state is Prime Minister Erna Solberg, PM since October 2013 and Leader of the Conservative Party since May 2004. • Sweden is a constitutional monarchy. Since 1975, the monarch is no longer has any executive power, but continues to serve as a strictly ceremonial head of state. The monarch is King Carl XVI Gustaf, and the Prime Minister since September 2014 is Stefan Lofven, leader of the Social Democrat party. Italy • Italy since June 2, 1946, when the monarchy was abolished by popular referendum, has been a multi-party parliamentary republic with a multi-party system. • The current Prime Minister of Italy is Giuseppe Conte, an independent politician, who became Prime Minister on June 1, 2018. He leads a coalition government that consists of the anti- establishment 5- Star party and the far right League Party. The 5-Star leader is Luigi Di Maio, a deputy prime minister also serves in the cabinet as labor and industry minister pledging to overhaul the signature labor reform known as the “Jobs Act” of the previous center-left government. Another deputy prime minister and interior minister, Matteo Salvini is the leader of the League party and has called for the removal of 500,000 migrants and the opening of a migrant detention and deportation centers in every Italian region. The new government in Italy has been described as “Western Europe’s first antiestablishment government.” Spain • The government of Spain is a constitutional monarchy with the King as the constitutional head of state, and the Prime Minister as the head of government. • The Monarchy of Spain has no executive role, other than appointing officials, and representing Spain at formal and ceremonial occasions. The king is also commander in chief of the Spanish Armed Forces. The current king is Felipe VI, ascended the throne on June 19, 2014 after the abdication of his father Juan Carlos I. • The Prime Minister of Spanish is Pedro Sanchez, who became PM on June 2, 2018. The PM is officially the President of the Government of Spain and the head of government.
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