POSC 215 Part III
Kesselman, pgs. 148-152, C:CP13-12
A Divided Germany (1945–1990)
True or False Questions
1. Both East and West Germany joined the international security alliances that represented their sponsors wishes—the Warsaw Pact in the East and NATO in the West. True or False
2. Similar to United States conservatives, the governments of Konrad Adenauer and Ludwig Erhard embraced a free market system for the economy and a rejection of the social welfare state. True or False
3. After World War II, the Federal Republic of Germany had a parliamentary system established with a politically regulated market economy and a re-establishment of strong state governments. True or False
4. Both the Social Democratic leaders Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt refused to have any diplomatic relationship with the Warsaw Pact. True or False
5. 12. The Christian Democrats came back to power in 1982 under the leadership of Chancellor Helmut Kohl who formed a center-right coalition with the Free Democratic Party ((FDP). True or False
6. Unlike the former Soviet Union, the GDR was a much more moderate, less bureaucratic regime tolerating elements of a free market and some forms of free speech. True or False
7. Although it became the strongest communist economy, East Germany lagged behind the far more developed economies of Western Europe. True or False
8. Because of the wealth, ingenuity, and managerial skills of West Germans, reunification with East Germany was a relatively painless process. True or False
9. Unification of the two Germanys encountered few significant problems since the former communist country was the most advanced economically of the East Bloc countries, quickly adapting to a capitalist economy. True or False
10. When the euro replaced eleven European currencies in 2002, Germans were wholeheartedly supportive of the transition, believing this new currency would control inflation and more effectively manage fiscal policy. True or False
11. The fact that several 9/11 terrorists had belonged to an Al Qaeda cell in Hamburg raised thorny questions about the balance between freedom and security in Germany. True or False
12. During the Bush administration’s preparations for the Iraq War 2002, Gerard Schroder and the German public came out in strong support of the United States. True or False
13. Because of its earlier militarism and its history of authoritarian political culture, Germany’s role in the world of states is controversial. True or False
14. More than in other democratic countries, German political institutions, social forces, and patterns of life emphasize collective action more than individualism. True or False
15. Germany’s traditionally restrictive immigration law was changed in 1999 to enable those who had lived in Germany for decades to obtain citizenship. True or False
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In the first 40 years of its existence, the Federal Republic produced: a) slow economic growth with a stable political system, b) fast economic growth with an unstable political system, c) rapid economic growth with a stable political system, d) slow economic growth with an unstable political system.
2. From 1949 to 1969, Germany was ruled by: a) the center left coalition of the SPD and FRG, b) a grand coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD, c) the center right alone with the CDU/CSU or in coalition with the FDP, d) a hodge-podge of center-left and center coalitions with no one party dominating.
3. The GDR was a one-party state under the control of: a) the Greens, b) the Socialist Unity Party (SED), c) the Social Democratic Party (SPD), d) the Free Democratic party (FDP).
4. The process of reunifying the two Germanys happened faster than anticipated due to: a) violent clashes between citizens of both countries, b) outside threats of invasion by the Warsaw Pact nations, c) the inability to convince East Germans not to migrate west, d) the unwillingness of the East German political leadership to cooperate and its internal crackdown.
5. How many new states (Lander) from East Germany were incorporated into a reunited Germany in 1990? a) 4, b) 5, c) 7, d) 9
6. Who did the East Germans blame for the high levels of unemployment and social ills that resulted after reunification? a) the free market system, b) the corrupt nature of government and its leaders, c) the United States, d) Turkish immigrants and other foreigners.
7. How did Germany pay for the spiraling costs of reunification? a) The Kohl government followed the tried-and-true strategy of supply-side economics; it borrowed the money, b) it simply followed the Weimar strategy of simply printing up more German marks, c) Kohl slapped a unification tax on the West Germans, d) Kohl got and received international assistance from the former Soviet Union, the European Union, the U.S. and the OPEC nations.
8. Why did German manufacturers become supportive of establishing a more integrated European economy? a) because of the guilt they felt for their support of Nazism, b) because of the increasing value of the German currency, making their products more expensive, c) because of the rise of inflation in Germany, hurting its export market, d) because they believed that they could help other fledgling European economies with their expertise and economic methods.
9. What is meant by Gastarbeiter? a) Workers from southern Europe and Turkey were allowed into West Germany, supposedly for limited periods, and would then return home, b) Immigrants received asylum from corrupt and oppressive regimes, c) Immediate social welfare assistance was provided to escaping refugees from East Germany, d) Diplomatic and cultural exchanges between East and West Germany during the Cold War.
10. In the late 19th century what compelled Germany to become an aggressive, acquisitive state? a) Germany was far ahead of its competitors, i.e., Britain and France, in its stage of industrial development, necessitating access to outside markets, b) Germany was late to unify, it was exposed geographically and it pursued fast economic growth combined with an awakened German nationalism, c) Germany had a highly developed political culture, but lacked a comparably effective nation-state requiring a diversion away from internal problems to outside pursuits, d) Germany realized that the quickest strategy for achieving industrialization was to create a more highly competitive environment by limiting and more fully separating the private sector from the public sector.
11. Which of the following best reflects Modell Deutschland? a) a) a laissez faire policy of isolating key economic actors to assure competitiveness and efficiency, b) strict hierarchical relations between of employee/employer interaction, c) close cooperation among the state, financial institutions and industrial interests, d) limited public-sector benefits to prevent state centralization.
Fill-in Questrions
1. How was Germany divided after its defeat in 1945?
a) Following the ______tensions, the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) emerged in the west out of zones assigned to the western Allies (______, ______, and the United States).
b) The communist German Democratic Republic (GDR) was formed out of a zone directed by the ______in the east.
2. The Federal Republic (West Germany) became a democracy with
a) constitutional provisions for free ______,
b) ______and individual rights,
c) an independent ______.
3. Germany’s significance for the study of comparative politics lies in several areas:
a) the contrast between its ______history and democratization in an integrating Europe;
b) its distinctive form of ______capitalism that is neither state-led nor laissez-faire;
c) its successful representative democracy that combines participation and representation of the entire electorate in a stable ______regime;
d) and a politics of ______that builds on existing groups but leaves some room for ______.
Answers
True or False Questions
1. False
3. True
5. True
7. True
9. False
11. True
13. True
15. True
Multiple Choice Questions
1. c
3. b
5. b
7. c
9. a
11. c
Fill-in Questions
1. a) Cold War, Britain, France, b) Soviet Union
3. a) nationalistic, b) organized, c) parliamentary, d) identity, newcomers
13-`1