AGI

Foreign & Security Policy

The AGI Foreign & Security Policy Program addresses German security policy, the foreign policy cooperation between the U.S. and Germany, and the transatlantic defense relationship.
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A Party System in Flux

Coalition governments in Germany have a long tradition, though more so at the federal level (where there have always been coalitions) than at the state level. These two or more party coalitions are as a rule not desired, but are generally forced by the election results or determined by the strength of the political groups after the election.

Germans Go To The Polls

While many Americans were focused on the primaries underway in the U.S., on March 13, Germans in three states went to the polls to elect their state governments.  The first …

State Elections as a Celebration of Democracy

Refugees decided the weekend’s state elections. The refugee politics were the 2016 power issue in competition between parties. All three incumbents were confirmed as minister-president in Rheinland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, and Saxony-Anhalt, because they have showcased superior competence in the face of epochal challenges.

Super Sunday Was Not Black Sunday

In spite of the wide-spread, largely foreign, media reaction to the three state elections, the sky did not fall on March 13. Chancellor Merkel’s unprecedented decision to welcome over one …

Landtagswahlen als Feste der Demokratie

Englische Version Flüchtlinge haben die Landtagswahlen vom Wochenende entschieden. Die Flüchtlingspolitik markiert 2016 die Machtfrage im Parteienwettbewerb. Alle drei Amtsinhaber wurden in Rheinland-Pfalz, Baden-Württemberg, Sachsen-Anhalt als Ministerpräsidenten bestätigt, weil sie …

Ein Parteiensystem im Umbruch

Koalitionsregierungen haben in Deutschland eine langeTradition, mehr noch auf der Bundesebene (dort gab es bisher keine andere Form der Regierung) als auf der Landesebene. Diese Zwei-oder Mehrfachkoalitionen sind in der Regel keine Wunschkoalitionen, sondern durch das Wahlergebnis erzwungen beziehungsweise durch die Stärke der Fraktionen nach der Wahl bestimmt.

It’s Not All About Refugees: Five Lessons from Germany’s Super Sunday

Last Sunday, three German Bundesländer—Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saxony-Anhalt—held their state elections. The federal states themselves are very diverse. The first is one of Germany’s most industrialized powerhouses and governed by …

Looking for Leadership, German Voters Send a Signal

Chancellor Merkel may not be very happy with the results of Sunday’s state elections in Germany, but she is not any worse off than she was on Saturday.  That is …

Capability, Reciprocity, and Luck

With a mixture of capability, reciprocity, and pure luck, Germany has so far avoided a Jihadi terrorist attack (with the exception of a “lone wolf” killing of two American soldiers …

EU/U.S. Data Flows: New Privacy Shield List

U.S. Data Importers Need to Understand What They Are Getting Into. There was a resounding call for action by regulators and industry and the legal documents are now out in …

Germany in a European Union Without Britain

New information about the UK’s referendum on whether to stay in the EU is making its way to headlines in the UK, Europe, and the U.S., and with it comes …

Lifting the Refugee Burden

Americans have become increasingly alarmed by events in Europe. The euro crisis was averted, but euro zone economies continue to face sluggish growth. Political parties throughout the continent question the …