The political culture of Germany as of the early 21st century is known for the popular expectation for governments to ensure a degree of

social welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...

, business and labour corporatism, and a multiparty system dominated by

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

and social democratic forces, with a strong influence of smaller

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

and

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

parties. Coalition governments are predominant on both the federal and the state level, exemplifying the German desire for consensus politics instead of one party majority rule as in democracies that follow the Westminster model. Although this consensus culture is beneficial insofar as it enables minority groups to take part in political discussions and decision making, it often leads to situations in which different interest groups blockade each other resulting in political gridlocks. Political decision making is further complicated by the powers held by the German states and the presence of a judicial branch with the power to review and dismiss legislation. Therefore, political power in Germany is not concentrated in the hands of one or a small number of individuals but spread thinly. Even the Chancellor can only set general guidelines for federal policies () and has to negotiate with many other politicians and interest groups when there is a need to take concrete measures.

References

Politics of Germany Political culture {{Culture-stub