Germany on the Road to Normalcy: Policies and Politics of the Red-Green Federal Government (1998-2002)

Many thought that the "German question", which had shaped European history so catastrophically in the last century, had been solved for good in 1990. Furthermore, the elections in 1998 seemed to confirm that Germany was on the road to "normalcy". For the first time in postwar German history a ruling party coalition was totally unseated by elections. Germany thus finally joined other western democracies as a state where a change of government following elections is commonplace. However, starting in the new millennium many have begun to see Germany as a problem case in Europe yet again. This raises questions about the future of Germany and the performance of the Red-Green government that this book seeks to answer. The contributors to this volume examine policies and politics of the Red-Green government in Germany, put recent changes and developments in this country in a long-term perspective, and provide conclusions about future developments.

"Like no other publication in English — or in German for that matter — this volume offers a truly comprehensive analysis of Germany's Red-Green government. The contributors, all experts in their field, provide critical insights into this government's policies, politics, preferences, and performance. A must read for students of Germany, Europe, and comparative politics." --Andrei S. Markovits, The Karl W. Deutsch Professor of Comparative Politics and German Studies, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Werner Reutter has worked as a research fellow at the Social Science Research Center Berlin, the Free University Berlin and as assistant professor at the Humboldt University Berlin. He was visiting professor in Berlin and in Bonn, and is currently Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota. His most recent books include: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen internationaler Gewerkschaftspolitik (1998), Verbände und Verbandssysteme in Westeurope (2002, co-editor); Verfassung und Verfassungspolitik in Deutschland und Großbritannien (2001, co-editor).

Introduction * Germany on the Road to 'Normalcy': Policies and Politics of the Red-Green Federal Government (1998-2002)--Werner Reutter * Part I. Institutional and Structural Dimensions: Parties, Coalition Government, and Chancellor Democracy * One Electorate? Social Policy Views and Voters' Choice in the Unified Germany since 1990--Robert Rohrschneider and Michael Wolf * The German Party System: Developments after Unification * Bernhard Wessels * Gerhard Schröder as 'Coordination Chancellor'? The Impact of Institutions and Arenas on the Chancellor's Style of Governance--Sabine Kropp * Part II. 'Old Politics': Economic and Social Policy * The Red-Green Government, the Third Way and the Alliance for Jobs, Training and Competitiveness--Werner Reutter * Policy Failure: The Economic Record of the Red-Green Coalition in Germany, 1998-2002 --Kurt Hübner * Continuity or Change: Red-Green Social Policy after Sixteen Years of Christian Democratic Rule--Martin Seeleib-Kaiser * Part III. Current Issues and 'New' Politics: Internal Security, Environmental policy, and Immigration * Internal Security and the Politics of Law and Order--Gert-Joachim Glaessner * From Taboo to Strategic Tool in Politics: Immigrants and Immigration Policies in German Party Politics--Oliver Schmidtke * Red-Green Environmental Policy in Germany: Strategies and Performance Patterns--Kristine Kern, Stephanie Koenen and Tina Löffelsend * Part IV. Germany and the World: European Politics and Foreign Policy * From 'Tamed' to 'Normal' Power: A New Paradigm in German Foreign and Security Policy?--August Pradetto * European Politics of the Red-Green Government: Deepening and Widening Continued--Barbara Lippert