5.13 Politics and institutions — Epoché
What you will be able to do Name the institutions of the Federal Republic: Bundestag, Bundeskanzler, Regierung, Ministerium, Grundgesetz . Follow news about an election: Partei, Wahlkampf, Kandidat, Stimme, Mehrheit, Koalition, Opposition . Understand the verbs of political debate: fordern, kritisieren, unterstützen, diskutieren, abstimmen, zurücktreten . Read the political vocabulary that English shares with German, and spot the words where it differs. Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the German aloud; all of them come back below. German English Der Junge änderte seine Meinung nicht. [1] The boy didn't change his opinion. Eine Gesellschaft besteht aus vielen Menschen. [2] A society consists of many people. Wer von anderen viel fordert, sollte auch von sich selbst viel fordern. [3] If you're so demanding of others, you should also be demanding of yourself. Bist du bei dieser Gesellschaft Mitglied? [4] Are you a member of this society? Sie gründeten eine neue politische Partei. [5] They formed a new political party. Ich finde, dass die Debatte weitergehen sollte. [6] I believe that the debate should be carried on. Prerequisites : 2.32 — you need the compound method from 5.11 Vocabulary , Konjunktiv I for reported speech from 2.26 Grammar , and the nominal style from 2.30 Grammar . From this phase on, your reading moves from everyday life into the public world: newspapers, news broadcasts, debates. Political German is a good place to start because a large part of it is international: Demokratie , Parlament , Koalition and Opposition need no translation. The other part is native and specific to the German federal system. Germany is a Bundesrepublik , a federal republic of sixteen states, and the prefix Bundes- , federal , is everywhere. This lesson gives you the sixty words you need to follow German news about politics; the background lesson 11.2 Background later in this phase explains how the system works. Word list Sixty words in five groups. The state and its institutions Word (article, plural) Meaning Notes die Regierung（-en） de government Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs From regieren ; the administration of a country, not the state itself. Jeder Staat hat eine Regierung. [7] Every state has a government. regieren de to govern, to rule Gender / part of speech verb How English differs Stress on the -ie- (re-GIE-ren), like all verbs in -ieren . Wer regiert die Welt? [8] Who rules the world? die Bundesrepublik（-en） de federal republic Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs die Bundesrepublik Deutschland is Germany's official name. Deutschland ist eine Bundesrepublik. [9] Germany is a federal republic. der Bundeskanzler（-） de federal chancellor Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs The head of government; a woman is die Bundeskanzlerin . Often just der Kanzler . Der Bundestag Deutschlands wählt den Bundeskanzler. [10] Germany's Federal Parliament elects the Federal Chancellor. der Minister（-） de minister, government secretary Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Germany has ministers, not secretaries: Außenminister is foreign minister . Der Minister musste zurücktreten. [11] The minister had to resign. das Ministerium（Ministerien） de ministry, government department Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs A Latin plural: die Ministerien . Die Akte wurde ans Ministerium geschickt. [12] The record was sent to the ministry. der Ministerpräsident（-en） de prime minister; head of a German state Gender / part of speech masculine noun (n-declension) How English differs In Germany the title of the head of government of a Land (the three city-states have a mayor instead), not of the federal government. Der Ministerpräsident wird voraussichtlich zurücktreten. [13] The premier is likely to resign. das Parlament（-e） de parliament Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs The same word; Germany's federal parliament has its own name, Bundestag . Sie hatten die Mehrheit im Parlament. [14] They had the majority in Parliament. der Bundestag de the German federal parliament Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Tag here means an assembly that meets on a set day, as in tagen , to sit . Der Bundestag tagt im Reichstag in Berlin. [15] The Bundestag, the German legislative body, meets in the Reichstag building in Berlin. die Verfassung（-en） de constitution; condition, shape Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Like English constitution , also physical condition: in guter Verfassung . Gedankenfreiheit wird durch die Verfassung garantiert. [16] Freedom of thought is guaranteed by the constitution. das Grundgesetz de the Basic Law, Germany's constitution Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs Basic law : in 1949 it was meant to be provisional until reunification, hence not Verfassung . Wir dürfen das Grundgesetz nicht verletzen. [17] We must not violate the Constitution. die Demokratie（-n） de democracy Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Stress on the last syllable: -tie . Demokratie ist Kompromisswirtschaft. [18] Democracy is the art of compromise. die Republik（-en） de republic Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Stress on the last syllable: -blik . Australien ist keine Republik. [19] Australia is not a republic. die Macht（¨-e） de power Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Political power; physical power is die Kraft , electric power der Strom . Die Macht dem Volk. [20] Power to the people. das Volk（¨-er） de people, nation Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs A people as a whole; individual people are Leute or Menschen . Das Volk will Frieden. [21] The people want peace. die Verwaltung（-en） de administration Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs The civil service and its offices; from a verb meaning to manage , built