3 the executive branch of the government is headed by President Horst Koehler as the Chief of State while the official head of the government is Chancellor Angela Merkel. All German Federal Ministers are appointed by the President as recommended by the chancellor. 4
The modern German government also has a Parliament which is made up of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag and all members are elected by popular vote "under a system combining direct and proportional representation," and the Federal Council or Bundesrat. The judicial branch of the German government is known as the Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht with "half of the judges elected by the Bundestag and the other half by the Bundesrat. 5 of course, the current government of Germany is considered as a democratic system, due to having elected officials and seats of government which share power and are elected by the German people as contrasted with the monarchy of King Frederick II which had no elections and shared no power whatsoever.
ENDNOTES
"German History." World History International. 2008. Internet. Retrieved October 17, 2008 at http://history-world.org/German%20History.htm.
Halsall, Paul....
"Modern History Sourcebook: Frederick II: Essay on Forms of Government."
1997. Internet. Retrieved October 17, 2008 at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/
18 fred2.html.
"Germany." CIA World Factbook. 2008. Internet. Retrieved October 17, 2008 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html.
Ibid, Internet.
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