German elections
Posted by Peter W. Schramm
Those who are sometimes critical of our constitutional (and two-party) system should note the results of the German elections. Forming a majority is not an easy thing, never mind the character of that majority. Also see this.
8:00 PM / September 18, 2005
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One completely ill-informed comment from a complete non-expert: Maybe Germany shouldn’t have reunified.
The commie legacy in the East may simply be too much to overcome.
I agree with Professor Schramm’s observation, but an equally important point is that it is very, very hard for a democracy to function well if the welfare state becomes too extensive. Indeed, we may well be approaching the point in this country where it is difficult for a Republican president to be elected except on foreign policy, as happened last year.
That the SPD did almost as well as the Christian Democrats shows that, when it comes down to it, the German people are not serious about reforming their welfare state. Europe’s love affair with welfare entitlements and regulation is one of the reasons that it will never rival the U.S. as a world power.