This examination of the office of the German chancellorship as it has evolved under six post-war chancellors analyzes both the nature of executive leadership as institutionalized in the constitutional order or political system and the evolution of the office during the course of individual incumbencies. The distinguished contributors evaluate the "chancellor democracy" model rooted in the imperious incumbency of Konrad Adenauer, which postulates a concentration of executive authority around the chancellorship, and the model of "coordination democracy," which casts the chancellor in a more managerial role in a political system marked by the diffusion of authority. This volume traces a progression from the first model to the second over time.
German unification has thrust new roles on the chancellor, including one as a symbol of unity in an incomplete process of integration, and another as a key figure in redefining Germany's new national and international identity. A number of the contributors address the question of whether the office has the political resources to enable the incumbent to fill these new roles.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chancellors and the Chancellorship
Stephen Padgett
1. The Chancellor and the Constitution
David Southern
2. The Chancellor and His Party
Stephen Padgett
3. The Chancellor and the Executive
Roland Sturm
4. The Chancellor and Staff
Ferdinand Müller-Rommel
5. The Chancellor and Foreign Policy
William E. Paterson
6. The Chancellor and Organized Interests
Heidrun Abromeit
7. The Changing Parameters of the Chancellorship
Gordon Smith
