Benefits of a Federal System : Germany

German federalism, much as ir» the United States and Switzerland, binds the country’s external unity with its internal diversity. Preserving that regional diversity is the traditional task of the federal system. This function today acquires new substance in the form of regional responsibilities such as the protection of monuments and historical sites, the preservation of architectural traditions, and the promotion of regional culture.

But the main purpose of federalism is to safeguard the nation’s freedom. The distribution of responsibilities between the Federation and the states is an essential element of the power-sharing arrangement, the checks and balances, as provided for in the Basic Law. This also embraces the participation of the states in the legislative process at the federal level through the Bundesrat.

The federal structure also enhances the democratic principle. It enables the citizen to engage in the political process, i.e. in elections and referendums, in his own region. This gives democracy greater vitality. There are other benefits as well. The federal system leaves room for experiments on a smaller scale and for competition among the states. A single state may, for instance, try out innovative methods in education which may later serve as a model for nationwide reform. Furthermore, a federal structure can best cope with different regional majorities. Opposition parties at the national level may hold a majority in some of the states and thus form the government there.