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Publius: The Journal of Federalism 1999 29(4):55-78;
© 1999 by CSF Associates Inc.
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From Unitary to Asymmetric Federalism in Germany: Taking Stock after 50 Years

Arthur Benz
Fern Universität-Hagen

Policymaking in the German federal system is influenced by the dynamic interplay of the institutions of cooperative federalism, of party competition in a parliamentary system, and of distributive conflicts between governments. This is shown in an analysis of 50 years of German federalism. It is argued that while the institutional setting outlived most reform efforts, changing patterns of party politics and growing distributive conflicts induced adjustments in intergovernmental relations. Since the 1980s, such adjustments have also been stimulated by European politics. In unified Germany, intergovernmental cooperation is now burdened with asymmetries between the East and the West, which are also expressed in a more regionalized party system. However, as party political confrontations have diminished, a pragmatic revision of the federal system seems feasible.


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