Party servants, ideologues or regional representatives? The German Länder and the reform of federalism

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Abstract

This article considers recent attempts to reform German federalism, the failed 2004 reform, and the reforms agreed in 2006 and 2009. It compares partisan, ideological and territorial factors which contribute to an understanding of reform, finding that all three have a role in explaining actors’ views of reform proposals. Two other claims are developed: that in some aspects of the reforms, a division between ‘generalist’ and ‘subject specialist’ politicians became apparent; and that a decisive change between 2004 and 2006 was the formation of a grand coalition at a federal level, which paved the way for agreement upon reform proposals.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)382-404
Number of pages23
JournalWest European Politics
Volume36
Issue number2
Early online date20 Feb 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2013

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