Germany, Political science 

The German government system displays only few of the strong executive powers typically associated with parliamentary democracies. Instead, it is notorious for the various checks and restraints imposed on the executive branch. These are numerous within the executive branch, where the electoral system has given rise to additional power-sharing arrangements. The chancellor not only needs to drag along his or her party but must also secure support from the coalition partner. Additional interlocking powers characterize the intergovernmental dealings between the federal and state governments regarding domestic security affairs. In fact, the federal-state relationship in the domestic security arena brings about separation-ofpowers effects usually reserved for presidential systems. Before analyzing
counterterrorism responses after 9/11, a detailed assessment of the structural
confines of German decision-making processes—how they have evolved since the founding of the federal republic in 1949, and the informal rules of engagement the constitution does not reflect—is in order. 

51 p.; 28 cm