Resilience and Change in Federal Institutions: The Case of the German Federal 
Council

Thelen, Kathleen Ann; Karcher, Sebastian

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199652990.003.0006

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Resilience and Change in Federal Institutions: The Case of the German Federal Council

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Thelen, Kathleen Ann
Auswärtiges Wissenschaftliches Mitglied, MPI for the Study of Societies, Max Planck Society;
Massachusetts Institute of Technology;

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199652990.003.0006
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Citation

Thelen, K. A., & Karcher, S. (2013). Resilience and Change in Federal Institutions: The Case of the German Federal Council. In A. Benz, & J. Broschek (Eds.), Federal Dynamics: Continuity, Change, and the Varieties of Federalism (pp. 117-139). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0015-1688-C

Abstract

One of the oldest federalist systems, Germany offers itself as a case
study for long-term developments in federalism. Drawing on a burgeoning
literature on institutional continuity and change we investigate the
development of a key institution of German federalism, the Federal Council
(Bundesrat) from the foundation of the German Reich until today. Counter
to claims that institutional change occurs mainly during “critical junctures,”
the Federal Council has shown remarkable resilience: It persisted through
World War I and the 1919 revolution and the writing of the centralist
Weimar constitution. Dismantled in 1934, it returned in 1949 after years
of dictatorship, war, and military occupation. Counter to an emphasis on
institutional stability in “settled” times in earlier literature, the role of
the Bundesrat has changed significantly over the last 60 years. Initially
representing the interests of federal states, it has gradually developed into a
powerful second chamber dominated by national-level politics.