Many thought that the 'German question', that had shaped European history so catastrophically in the last century, had been solved for good in 1990. And the last elections seemed to confirm that Germany was on the road to 'normalcy'. However, at the beginning of the new century, many see Germany as a problem case in Europe. This raises the question about the future of Germany and the performance of the incumbent government. The book addresses these issues by examining the policies and politics of the Red-Green government and by putting recent changes and developments in this country in a long-term perspective.

"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

"This is a remarkable and much needed book by mostly native German political scientists about the current politics of their country, including its relations to the contemporary United States. Just the kind of insights we need to understand the outside world. Palgrave Macmillan should be congratulated on this departure from the current numbing hegemony of neoconservative and jingoistic attitudes that seek to shut out the world." - Peter H. Merkl, University of California, Santa Barbara

Autorentext
WERNER REUTTER is a visiting Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, USA.

Inhalt
Introduction Germany on the Road to 'Normalcy': Policies and Politics of the Red-Green Federal Government (1998-2002); W.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; R.Rohrschneider & M.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; S.Kropp PART II: 'OLD POLITICS': ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL POLICY The Red-Green Government, the Third Way and the Alliance for Jobs, Training and Competitiveness; W.Reutter Policy Failure: The Economic Record of the Red-Green Coalition in Germany, 1998-2002; K.Hübner Continuity or Change: Red-Green Social Policy after Sixteen Years of Christian Democratic Rule; M.Seeleib-Kaiser PART III: CURRENT ISSUES AND 'NEW' POLITICS: INTERNAL SECURITY, ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, AND IMMIGRATION Internal Security and the Politics of Law and Order; G.Glaessner From Taboo to Strategic Tool in Politics: Immigrants and Immigration Policies in German Party Politics; O.Schmidtke Red-Green Environmental Policy in Germany: Strategies and Performance Patterns; K.Kern , S.Koenen & T.Löffelsend PART IV: GERMANT AND THE WORLD: EUROPEAN POLITICS AND FOREIGN POLICY From 'Tamed' to 'Normal' Power: A New Paradigm in German Foreign and Security Policy?; A.Pradetto European Politics of the Red-Green Government: Deepening and Widening Continued; B.Lippert