Second Reich Constitution

Imperial Chancellor
1. Appointed by Kaiser.
2. Chief minister.
3. Other ministers accountable to Chief minister.
Kaiser
1. Appoint and dismiss federal ministers.
2. Commander in chief of army.
3. Dissolve Reichstag and force General Election
4. Controlled Foreign Policy.
Federal Council
1. Representatives from 25 states.
  1. State Governments
    1. Excluding "Free Cities", the State Governments were headed by hereditary Kings/Princes/Grand Dukes/Dukes who had ruled pre-1871
    2. 25 individual States responsible for policing, education, social welfare. Could raise own taxes.
2. Delegations varied in number depending on size of state.
3. Their consent needed for any new law.
Reichstag
1. National Parliament
2. Shared Law-making powers with Fed-Council, had right to discuss, amend, accept or reject
3. Couldn't initiate Legislation.
4. Government Ministers not accountable to Reichstag.
5. Federal Electorate
  1. All German men over 25.
State Parliaments
1. Most States had their own Law-making assembly (Landtag).
2. State Electorate
  1. Each State decided on its' own electoral requirements.
  2. In Prussia There was a Three-Tier Franchise which gave a disproportionate amount of political influence to the wealthy.

Resource summary

	Created by embenf about 9 years ago