Bulletin n. 2/2011
October 2011
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Henrich-Franke Christian
    Wandlungen föderalen Regierens im Deutschen Kaiserreich. Die Entscheidungsfindung im Fall der Sozialgesetzgebung
    in Historische Zeitschrift , Volume 293, Issue 2 (September 2011) ,  2011 ,  373-399
    Changes in the Practice of Federal Government in the German Kaiserreich. Decision-Making in the Case of Social Legislation Abstract This paper deals with the functionality and change of the German Empire′s political system. It takes into consideration the federal decision-making structures within and around the federal council (Bundesrat). These have hitherto hardly been analysed by the historical research. The paper focuses on two hypotheses about federal governance: Firstly, it argues that the federal states discussed a topic before its official presentation as a draft bill within the Bundesrat since the 1870s. This contradicted the decision-making process as it was defined in the constitution. Secondly, policy making was dislocated from the federal council into other bodies at the end of the Bismarckian Era in the 1890s. In that context a federalisation of the parliament (Reichstag) can be observed. It is argued here, that the Bundesrat′s increasing importance in the decision-making process must not be equated with an increase of federal power. These hypotheses will be discussed by using the example of the law on accident insurance.
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