EDRS. (Toll Free) - ERIC · 2014-06-02 · DOCUMENT RESUME. ED 426 045 SO 029 488. AUTHOR Blankenship, Glen; Tinkler, D. William TITLE Cultural Reflections: Work, Politics, and Daily

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ED 426 045 SO 029 488

AUTHOR Blankenship, Glen; Tinkler, D. WilliamTITLE Cultural Reflections: Work, Politics, and Daily Life in

Germany, Social Studies. Grades 9-12. Update 1997/1998.INSTITUTION Inter Nationes, Bonn (Germany).PUB DATE 1997-00-00NOTE 98p.; Updates and revises ED 396 971. For related items, see

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AVAILABLE FROM National Council for the Social Studies, NCSS Publications,P.O. Box 2067, Waldorf, MD 20604-2067; Tel: 800-683-0812(Toll Free) ($8).

PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Teacher (052)EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Area Studies; Civics; Cultural Education; Culture;

*Geographic Concepts; *Geographic Location; *GeographicRegions; *Geography; *Geography Instruction; High Schools;Human Geography; Instructional Materials; Maps;Multicultural Education; Physical Geography; SecondaryEducation; Social Studies; World Geography; World History

IDENTIFIERS *Germany

ABSTRACT

This packet contains three lessons designed for the highschool classroom. Lessons include: (1) "The German Worker"; (2) "Governmentin Germany"; and (3) "Culture and Daily Life in Germany." Student activitiesfocus on comparative economic systems, worker training and apprenticeshipprograms, structure of government with case studies of the health care systemand the federal budget, the role of the press in Germany, and leisureactivities. Numerous activities, handouts, worksheets, and transparenciesaccompany the lessons. ERIC copy of the document contains photocopies of thetransparencies. (EH)

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CULTURALREFLECTIONS

Work, Politics and Daily Lifein Germany

SOCIAL STUDIES

GRADES 9-12

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for.

CULTURALREFLECTIONS

Work, Politics andDaily Life in Germany

SOCIAL STUDIES

GRADES 9 12

Glen Blankenship, co-author of the lessons, is Program Director for the Georgia Council onEconomic Education at Georgia State University and the former Social Studies Coordinator forthe Georgia Department of Education. In addition to his work in the field of curriculum develop-ment and teacher education, Dr. Blankenship is a frequent presenter to civic and educationalorganizations across the nation. Dr. Blankenship earned his B.A. and M.Ed. in.Political Sciencefrom Georgia State University, and a Ph.D. from Emory University.

D. William Tinkler, co-author of the lessons, is a middle school assistant principal forthe Fulton County, Georgia, School System. Dr. Tinkler is active in his state's social studiesprofessional organization, serving as president in 1993. He has also assisted in the writing ofcourse guides and instructional materials on special topics. Graduating cum laude with a B.A.in Political Science from Duke University, Dr. Tinkler earned his Ed.D. from the University ofGeorgia.

Editor: Martina Muller/Inter Nationes

Inter Nationes 11Bildungsmedien und FilmB11Kennedyallee 91-103D-53175 BonnFederal Republic of GermanyTelefon: (02 28) 8 80-0Telefax: (02 28) 8 80-4 57Teletex: 28308-INDTelex: 8869904-INDE-mail: [email protected]

Copyright 1997 by Inter Nationes, Bonnand Goethe-Institut, New York

4

Contemporary Materials for the

Germany Social Studies ClassroomDescription of Publications

A Kid Like Me Across the Sea is a primary/elementary instructional package targeted at grades K-3 with interestlevel extending to adult. This series of five lessons draw heavily on interpretation of photographs and addressthe topics of physical and cultural geography; basic needs of food, clothing and shelter; community servicesand community helpers; transportation and communication; political symbols; and migration of people.

Communities and Regions in Germany is an instructional package targeted at upper elementary curriculum. Thisinstructional package, presented to students as a travelogue, stresses basic map and globe/geography skillsand presents case studies of communities (cities/towns/villages) across Germany.Overview of Germany is designed for middle school classrooms. The four lessons in the package correlate to thestudy of world cultures (perspective taking and symbols), geography and government. The materials focus onnational studies and state studies from a comparative United States/Germany approach.

The Geography of Germany is designed for high school classrooms. The five lessons in this instructional packagerelate to the "Five Themes of Geography" (Location, Place, Human-Environment Interaction, Movement andRegion) as promoted by the National Geographic Society. The lessons are designed to support the teaching ofcourses in world geography and world history.Cultural Reflections. Work, Politics and Daily Life in Germany is also designed for the high school classroom. The threelessons in this instructional kit include "The German Worker," "Culture and Daily Life in Germany" and "Govern-ment in Germany." Student activities focus on comparative economic systems, worker training and apprentice-ship programs, structure of government (including case studies of the health care system and the federal budget),the role of the press in Germany, and leisure activities.Additional support materials which support these instructional programs are also available: political and physicalwall maps; Germany Since 1945. A Focus on Berlin video; Facts About Germany handbook; and additionalresources from the German Information Center in New York.

These materials were written by social studies educators in Georgiaand printed by Inter Nationes.

Single copies at cost price are available from

National Council for the Social Studies, NCSS PublicationsP. 0. Box 2067, Waldorf, MD 20604-2067

toll free telephone (1-800) 683-0812 (9 a.m. 5 p.m. ET MF); Telefax (301) 843-0159E-mail: [email protected]

http://www.ncss.org/home/ncss

American Association of Teachers of German (AATG)112 Haddontowne Court, Suite 104, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08034

Telephone (609) 795-5553; Telefax (609) 795-9398E-mail: [email protected]

http://www.stolaf.edu/stolaf/depts/german/aatg/index.html

Free sets of materials for inservice trainingGoethe-Institut New York

1014 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10028Telephone (212) 439-8700; Telefax (212) 439-8705

E-mail: [email protected]://www.goethe.de

ContemporaryGermany

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Grade Level/Course

Individuals

Families

Neighborhoods

Communities

States and Regional Geography

U.S. History

World History

World Geography

State History and Government

Materials for the SocialStudies ClassroomScope and Sequence, K-12

Materials/Title

A Kid like Me Across the SeaGrades K, 1, 2 and 3[Interest Level, Grades K Adult]

Communities and Regions in GermanyGrades 3 and 4[Interest Level, Grades 3-6]

9-12 U.S. StudiesCitizenshipEconomicsU.S. HistoryAmerican LawAmerican Government

World StudiesWorld HistoryWorld GeographyInternational Studies/

Contemporary AffairsComparative Government

Behavioral StudiesSociologyPsychologyAnthropology

Overview of GermanyGrades 6, 7 and 8

The Geography of GermanyGrades 9-12 /Targeted at History and Geography

(Physical and Cultural)]

Cultural ReflectionsGrades 9-12 /Targeted at Economics, Government

and Sociology]

DIntroduction

D

o

This collection of lessons was developed as a result of study/travel seminars attended by Georgia educatorsduring the summers of 1989, 1991, and 1993. An ongoing goal of the project was to develop and disseminateexemplary lessons for teaching about the Federal Republic of Germany.

These lessons are designed so that they may be used individually via integration into the curriculum, or collec-tively used as a complete stand-alone unit. The teacher should adjust the materials to accomodate the needs,interests, and performance levels of students in their classrooms. Each lesson begins with an outline for teach-ing which includes instructional objectives, a list of necessary materials, and a sequenced list of procedures forusing the activities provided with the lesson. The lessons provide the teacher with most of the materials neededfor implementation.

The authors would like to thank the following Georgia educators for the significant contributions of ideas andmaterials resulting in this instructional kit.

Eddie Bennett, Director of Staff Development, Pioneer RESA; Stuart Bennett, Principal, McIntosh High School;Horst Bussiek, German Language Consultant, Georgia Department of Education; Carolyn Smith Carter, BradwellInstitute, Liberty County Schools; David Cline, Cedar Hill Elementary School, Gwinnett County Schools;Gwendale Belle Gaines, Miller Middle School, Bibb County Schools; Ruth Gassett, Fine Arts Coordinator, GeorgiaDepartment of Education; Gwen Hutcheson, Social Studies Coordinator (retired), Georgia Department of Educa-tion; Glen Jones, German Language Teacher, La Fayette High School, Walker County Schools; Jeanette Kirby,Social Studies Coordinator (retired), Muscogee County Schools; Carol McCullough, Heritage High School,Rockdale County Schools; Emmett Mullins, Cedar Hill Elementary School, Gwinett County Schools; Mary Mullins,Art Teacher, Snellville Middle School, Gwinett County Public Scools; James Pippin, Arnold Junior High School,Muscogee County Schools; Kim Puritt, Banks County High School, Banks County Schools; Helen Richardson,Executive Director of Curriculum Services, Fulton County Schools; Marsha Scheppler, Timothy Elementary School,Clarke County Schools; Donald 0. Schneider, Professor of Social Science Education, The University of Georgia;Lindsey Smith, Lovejoy High School, Clayton County Schools; Carolyn Soff, Renfroe Middle School, Decatur CitySchools; Mary Spillane, German Language Teacher, Cobb County Schools; Marie Wilson, Georgia Council onEconomic Education.

).

ITable of Contents

)

Lesson Title Page

Lesson One The German Worker 1

Activity 1 Employment in GermanyActivity 2Activity 3Activity 4Activity 5Activity 6

German Workers' ProductivityGerman Household IncomeGerman Household ExpendituresGerman Household Buying Power (East/West)Germany and the United States:A Comparative Economic Review

Lesson Two Government in Germany 25

Activity 1Activity 2Activity 3Activity 4Activity 5Activity 6

Structure of German GovernmentPolitical Parties in GermanyElections in GermanyHealth Care in GermanyGerman Federal BudgetSocial Security in Germany

Lesson Three Culture and Daily Life in Germany 53

Activity 1Activity 2Activity 3Activity 4Activity 5Activity 6Activity 7

Vacation Time in GermanyCultural and Recreational Activities in GermanyNewspaper, TV and Radio in GermanyThe Free German Press (Part I)The Free German Press (Part II)The Educational System in GermanyApprenticeships in Germany

LII

Lesson 1 The German Worker

Lesson Objectives The student will be able to:

compare his or her personal family budget with how typical German

families allocate their money.

analyze and evaluate specific auto companies (GM and Daimler-Benz)

in the United States and Germany.

Materials and Resources

Activity 1 - Employment in Germany

Transparency 1 "Employment"

Transparency 2 "Work Time and Vacation Time"

Transparency 3 "Partners: Employers, Employees, and Unions"

Handout 1.1 "Employment"

Handout 1.2 "Employers, Employees, and Unions"

Handout 1.3 "Work Time and Vacation Time"

Worksheet 1.1 "Comparing the Workforce in Germany and the

United States"

Handout 1.4 "Deutsche Doze: The Leisurely Lives of Germany's

Worker Bees"

Activity 2 - German Workers' Productivity

Worksheet 1.2 "Case Study of Two Auto Makers"

Activity 3 - German Household Income

Worksheet 1.3 "Household Income Distribution"

Activity 4 - German Household Expenditures

Transparency 4 "Income and Expenditures of Private Households"

Activity 5 - German Household Buying Power (East/West)

Handout 1.5 "Comparative Expense Data"

Activity 6 - Germany and the United States: A Comparative Economic Review

Handout 1.6 "Germany and the United States:

A Comparative Economic Review"

1

1.1

Activities

Activity 1 - Employment in GermanyGermany enjoys remarkable industrial output and

international market status while simultaneously pro-viding long vacations and short working hours for itswork force. How does this compare with the produc-tivity and working conditions in the United States? Sixweeks prior to beginning this activity, students as aclass should contact the U.S. Department of Laborfor current information about type and percentage ofU.S. employment, union affiliation, average salary,productivity, vacation leave, and length of averagework week. The teacher may use Transparencies 1 , 2and 3 to provide an overview of the work environ-ment in Germany.

Next, students should receive Handouts 1.1"Employment", 1.2 "Employers, Employees, andUnions" and 1.3 "Work Time and Vacation Time" asbackground reading about German workers. UsingTransparency 1 and Handout 1.1 "Employment," askstudents to fill in a data retrieval chart (Worksheet 1.1"Comparing the Workforce in Germany and theUnited States").

After the data are compiled students can discusswhether Germany can continue to offer such highwages and social benefits while maintaining highlevels of international market share. To focus discus-sion on such issues, students should read Handout1.4 "Deutsche Doze" and answer the following ques-tions.

How does information in this article about theGerman work week and vacation time comparewith information found in Handouts 1.1 , 1.2 and1.3?To what extent can one generalize the attitudedepicted by the "salami cutter" to the general work-ing population of Germany?Are Germans best characterized as "worker bees,""slugs" or as something in between the two? Howdo they compare with American workers?Does the current state of the German economysupport or refute the author's comments aboutworker laziness? What evidence supports youranswer?Pupils should become aware of the fact that not

everything in this article corresponds to reality, i.e.the interest-free loans for students are only paid 6

3

years at the longest, the average number of years forstudying is 7 years; the Germans do not take thelongest vacations of any Europeans, the Dutch do;stores are open later than 6:30 p.m. and on Saturdayafternoons; and the experience of telephone conver-sations being cut off is not at all that common.

Activity 2 - German Worker's ProductivityOne way to focus on productivity and the German

worker is to select a particular industry as a casestudy. Of particular interest to many students is theautomobile, so it seems logical to choose a majorGerman and U.S. car manufacturer for the casestudy. Have students first write to two manufacturers(e.g. Daimler-Benz and Ford) requesting such infor-mation as annual reports, product reviews, and otherdocuments which detail average pay and benefits toworkers. Then, students should complete Worksheet1.2 "Case Study of Two Auto Makers." Ask studentsto refer to their worksheets to draw comparisonsbetween the two auto makers and develop a set ofcriteria on which to evaluate their relative success inthe market-place.

Activity 3 - German Household IncomeHave students refer to Worksheet 1.3 "Household

Income Distribution" and create a bar or pictographthat illustrates the data from the table. Make sure stu-dents know which variables go on the vertical andhorizontal axes. A scale on the vertical axis should becreated which illustrates a range from 0 to 6 millionhouseholds. The various net incomes should belisted along the horizontal axis.

Once students have answered the questions onthe worksheet, ask them to compare the Germanincomes (from former West Germany) with that ofhouseholds in the United States. Ask what additionalinformation students would need to make a realisticcomparison of lifestyles in the two countries.

Activity 4 - German Household ExpendituresThe following income data deals only with the

former West Germany. The Federal Bureau of Statis-tics has compiled a list of average monetary figuresfor certain types of families that gives a general ideaof typical income and expenditures.

10

LIHousehold Example I consists of two people

receiving retirement benefits and who are on a fixedincome.

Household Example II represents an average familya married couple with one person working, 2 minor

children, medium income.Household Example III is a four-person family of

civil servants with a higher-than-average salary.Here are the monthly figures for these three types

of households in 1993:

family (89% in West Germany; 67% in East Ger-many). Next, have the students create two circlegraphs showing what percentage of income is spenton the following items in each part of Germany:Food, Rent, Education/Entertainment, Furniture,Clothing, Utilities, Insurance, Luxury Articles, Car,Donations/ Gifts, Traveling/Jewelry.

Students should note the marked difference in per-centage of income devoted to basic needs betweenthe regions. Also, ask students to speculate as to the

differences in expenditurecategories between east andwest (e.g. lack of travelopportunities for East Ger-mans). A comparison ofbuying power shows amarked difference betweeneast and west. For any par-ticular consumer good, aworker in former East Ger-many had to work longerthan his counterpart in thewest. Share the data in Table

2 with students regarding the amount of work timerequired to pay for each item. Based on these data,ask students to speculate as to what items in theeast were supported by the government? What itemsconsidered "necessities" in the west were considered"luxuries" in the east? As a result of the economic,monetary, and social union wages and salaries in theeast are changing. According to present calculationsit is expected to take about ten years for incomes inthe east to catch up with those in the west.

Example I Example II Example III

Gross Income 2,600 DM 6,246 DM 9,717 DMIncome and property taxes 1 DM 514 DM 1,280 DMSocial Security premiums 131 DM 882 DM 620 DMNet Household income 2,468 DM 4,850 DM 7,717 DM

Adding in additional income such as the sale of used goods, etc.,the statistical disposable income for each of the three households is:

Example I Example II Example III

2,535 DM 5,197 DM 8,495 DM

Using Example II as a model of an average Germanfamily and $24,600 a year as the average U.S. family,make comparisons about what percentage of thisincome is spent on various categories. Refer to thepie graph in Transparency 4 for the German expendi-tures. Ask students to inquire with their parents aboutwhat percent of their take-home pay is devoted tosimilar categories (rent/ mortgage, utilities, clothing,food, car maintenance and travel, and miscellane-ous). Discuss how German and U.S. families differ interms of their expenditures. What might account forthese differences?

Activity 5 - German Household Buying Power (East/West)

A comparison of incomes of the former West Ger-many and the former East Germany shows there is agreat disparity between the eastern sector and thewestern sector. In 1990 the average income of aworker in East Germany was less than half of thatearned in West Germany. In the west in 1989 theaverage monthly salary was 3,650 DM gross/2,300DM net while in the east it was 1,150 DM gross/980DM net. To demonstrate to students the differencebetween household expenditures in the two nationsbefore unification, distribute Handout 1.5 to students.Ask students to use the data in Table 1 to computethe total expenditures of each family (3,576 DM inWest Germany; 1,559 DM in East Germany) and thepercentage of the total income this represents for the

4

Activity 6 - Germany and the United States:

A Comparative Economic ReviewGermany's GDP is about one third the size of the

United States'. However, Germany's GDP per capitais slightly higher than that of the United States. Dis-tribute Handout 1.6 to groups of students for analy-sis. Next, lead a discussion on factors which contrib-ute to this statistic. Conclude this lesson by havingstudents create a political cartoon expressing theopinion on the U.S. or German economy.

11

Ll Activity 1 Transparency 1

Employment

approx.millionpeople

Year: 1993

Manufacturing

37.0

16.5 million

Service Industries

Employa

12.3 million

Commerce/Trade

6.8 million

Agriculture1.8 million

jL 5

12

LI Activity 1 Transparency 2

Work Time and Vacation Time

BEST con AVAILABLE

A

613

Activity 1 Transparency 3

Partners: Employers, Employees and Unions

Collective Bargaining NegotiationsWorker's Union / Employers' Association

SuccessfulNegotiations

UnsuccessfulNegotiations

Arbitration

General StrikeVote

General StrikeNoStrike Vote

NegotiationsNew

Strike Lockout

New CollectiveBargaining Agreement

7

14

LI Activity 1 Handout 1.1

Employment

Germany has a population of about 81.3 millionpeople. Of this number 39.5 million are male and41.8 million are female.

In Germany in 1995, 37 million people wereemployed, which is 46% of the total population. 21million of the male population (55.6%) and 15 millionof the female population were employed (36.8%).

In Germany in 1995, 3.1 million people were self-employed. An additional 0.5 million family membersparticipated in these enterprises.

The German employment sector has been restruc-tured over the past 20 years. The number of employ-ees in the areas of manufacturing, mining and agri-culture and silviculture has decreased. On the otherhand, the number of employees in services profes-sions (teachers, doctors, nurses, policemen, waiters,retail workers) and in the construction industry hasincreased. Overall, the size of the blue-collar work-force has been declining in comparison with thewhite-collar workforce.

There is still employment inequality between menand women. In the mid-1990s, for example, womenin private industry earned only 70%, on the average,of what their male colleagues earned. The state is incharge of promoting equal opportunity for both sexesand with eliminating discrimination on the basis ofsex.

Between 1970 and 1993, the number of gainfullyemployed people grew by 5 million, to some 37 mil-lion. The reasons for this growth were entry of "babyboomers" into the working world and German unifi-cation. The number of women seeking to enter theworkforce has also been growing.

In 1990, the demand for employment exceededthe number of available jobs by some 3.7 million. By1994, the discrepancy had grown to about 6.6 mil-lion.

Employers who employ more than 15 people arerequired to reserve 6% of their jobs for people withserious handicaps. If they fail to do this, they mustpay a monthly compensation fee of 200 DM for everyposition that should be filled with a handicappedperson but has not been so filled. The number ofemployers who employ handicapped persons isdecreasing; the employment rate for the handi-capped is currently 4.2%.

The problem posed by illicit work "Schwarzarbeit"

8

is growing. Schwarzarbeit is work that is notreported as legally required and upon which nodeductions as legally mandated (taxes, pension fund,health insurance) are paid. Illicit work is punishable bylaw. In 1993, the authorities investigated in a total of534,000 cases of illicit work. The total annual dam-age to the economy caused by such work is esti-mated at about 100 billion DM.

UnemploymentIn 1997, some 4.7 million people were registered asunemployed in the Federal Republic of Germany;some 300,000 people were short-time workers.

The main reasons given for the large unemploy-ment figures include increasing salary and wagecosts, transfers of industrial production to low-wagecountries, the weakness of the economy in the1990s and fundamental structural changes within theindustrial society. Major differences between easternGermany's and western Germany's employmentlevels persist.

The Federal Labour Office (Bundesanstalt fürArbeit), located in Nuremberg, is charged with findingjobs for unemployed people, with vocational counsel-ling, with managing the unemployment insurancefund and with supporting the vocational trainingsystem.

Make-work schemes have been established tocombat unemployment. These schemes create jobsfor unemployed persons; the jobs are temporarilyfinanced, completely or in part, by the Federal LabourOffice. Make-work-scheme jobs must supplementexisting jobs and they must be non-profit. The overallaim in this connection is to convert such jobs intopermanent positions. In 1993 and 1994, funding formake-work schemes was drastically reduced, due tocutbacks at the Federal Labour Office.

15

Lal Activity 1 Handout 1.2

Employers, Employees and Unions

Under Article 9 (paragraph 3) of the Basic Law ofthe Federal Republic of Germany, employees andemployers have the right to "form associations tosafeguard and improve working and economic con-ditions." The exercise of that right is manifest in thetrade unions and employers' associations whichnegotiate with each other on an equal basis.

In Germany in 1994 a third of the workforce 12.3million people was unionized. The number, how-ever, has been decreased.

The largest group of unions is the German TradeUnion Federation (DGB), which embraces 15 unionswith 10.3 million members all told in 1994. The 15members are: the Metal Workers' Union/the PublicService and Transport Workers' Union/the Chemical,Paper, and Ceramic Trade Union/the Postal Workers'Union/the Commercial, Banking, and InsuranceEmployees' Union/the Miners' and ElectricityWorkers' Union/the Railwaymen's Union/ the Foodand Catering Trades Union/the Textile Workers'Union/the Teachers' and Scientists' Union/the PoliceAssociation/the Woodworking and Synthetic FibresTrade Union/the Leather Workers' Union/the Union ofConstruction, Agricultural and Environmental Work-ers and the Media Union.

Besides the German Trade Union Federation thereare three other employees' unions: The German CivilService Association, the Union of German SalariedEmployees, and the Christian Trade Union Federa-tion.

After the dissolving of the FDGB in former EastGermany, the individual unions in the west and eastbegan cooperation with each other. In 1990, themember unions of the German Trade Union Federa-tion merged with their sister organizations in the East.

1994, unions accepted for the first time a cut inwage with a shorter work week.

Employers have also formed associations. Theumbrella group for these associations is the "Confed-eration of German Employers' Associations" whichconsists of 46 individual associations. 23 of the 46member associations have their headquarters inCologne or Bonn.

In spite of all conflicts of interests between theemployees' and employers' unions, everyone has agoal to raise the standard of living in former East Ger-many as soon as possible.

9

Contract negotiations

Collective bargaining in Germany is autonomous.That means employers and workers have the right tobargain and enter collective agreements with eachother without government interference. The statedoes set the general conditions by legislation but itdoes not lay down how much should or may be paid.This and many other things for example leaveallowances, vacation, etc. are left to labor and man-agement representatives, the trade unions andemployer associations, to negotiate among them-selves.

This is the typical way a collective bargaining ses-sion happens: A union presents some demands(more pay, more vacation, shorter work hours, etc.)to the employer. If there is agreement, a new contractis approved which is good for a certain specifiedlength of time, at least one year. During this time bothsides are required to carry out business under theterms of the agreement without any confrontationalactions such as a strike or lockout. If there is noagreement, the matter goes into arbitration. A neutralthird party is selected, who is never representative ofthe government, who works to find a compromise. Ifone is found, then a new contract is approved. If nocompromise can be reached, a general strike vote istaken in the workers' union. If a strike occurs, theemployers may retaliate with a lockout (which meansthe company is shut down and no one works, includ-ing the people who are not striking). The strike endswhen a new compromise is found and at least 25%of the striking workers approve. A new contract maythen come into force.

The autonomy of collective bargaining is seen as anessential element of the health and stability of theGerman economy.

16


Work Time and Vacation Time

Work timeStatistically speaking, every German works 200

days per year. This figure is about 40 days smallerthan the corresponding figure 20 years ago. Mostemployed persons do not work on Saturday orSunday.

In 1994, the average weekly work time for industrialworkers in former West Germany amounted to 38.0hours; for workers in eastern Germany, it was 41.2hours.

Actual work time is considerably less than the worktime specified, in tariff agreements. A total of 8% ofthe work time set forth in tariff agreements is lost toabsence (illness, etc.).

The average annual work time in Germany is 1,667hours.(For comparison: Japan: 2,080 hours

Portugal: 1,898 hoursIreland: 1,817 hoursSpain: 1,788 hoursFrance: 1,771 hours)

(As of the end of 1993)Germany's public debate on the work week contin-

ues. The following two opposing positions predomi-nate: the unions wish the work week to be cut further,to 35 hours or even less; employers support a returnto the 40-hour work week. The unions also demand,as a measure to combat unemployment, that theavailable work be distributed among a larger numberof employed persons, i.e. the work time per personshould be reduced. Employers, on the other hand,want to lengthen the work week, without wageincreases, in order to enhance production efficiencyand to cut wage costs.

To prevent the large-scale layoffs that could havebecome necessary in the weak economy, the IGMetall Metalworkers' Union and the automobilemaker VW agreed on a four-day work week with payreductions. The weekly work time under this modelagreement, which terminated at the end of 1996, is28.8 hours.

"Short time" (Kurzarbeit) refers to work-time reduc-tions used to compensate for temporary shortages ofwork and to prevent layoffs. Employees on short timereceive special assistance from unemployment fundsas compensation for wage reductions.

Demand for part-time work is growing, especiallyamong women. Some 2.5 million employees wouldlike to work shorter hours. On the other hand, some70% of German companies reject part-time work onthe grounds that it involves disproportionately highpersonnel costs.

Vacation

In 1960 the average number of vacation days ayear (agreed by contract) was 16.7. In 1994, it was31 days. Today Germany gives its workers one of thehighest number of vacation days of any country in theworld.

Country Number ofVacation Days/Year

The NetherlandsGermanyItalyDenmarkEnglandU.S.AJapan

36.531.031.025.025.012.010.0

In addition to vacation days, every worker gets acertain number of other holidays (patriotic, religious).The number varies from 11 to 13 according to regionand federal state.

The number of work days and holidays is decidedupon in contracts negotiated by the workers andmanagement of the individual companies.

The government has no say in the matter. (Follow-ing the principle of government non-interference incontract agreements see Transparency 3.)

10 17

LI Activity 1 Worksheet 1.1

Comparing the Workforce in Germany and theUnited States

FRG USA

Type of Employment:ManufacturingService IndustryCommercefTradeAgriculture

PercentageUnemployment

Average Work Week(in hours)

Average Vacations(in hours)

Average Pay/Bonuses

Major Labor Unions

Percentage of WorkforceUnionized

Small BusinessVentures

18

Ll Activity 1 Handout 1.4

Deutsche Doze: The Leisurely Lives of Germany'sWorker Bees Page 1

by Marc Fisher

BERLIN, MAY 1992. The trains aren't running ontime. In fact, they're not running at all. Since the startlast week of the angriest and most comprehensivestrike in Germany's postwar history, trash has beenoverflowing onto the streets. Mountains of mailworthy of the Alps are piling up. By tomorrowGermany's hospitals, steel mills, barges and airportsare all expected to be shut down.

What's going on here is not so much about moneyas it is about Germany's little secret: the leisurely,cosseted way of life that has become an entitlementeven as the rest of the world goes on believing Ger-mans to be technonerds who spend every wakingmoment making precision tools before getting intotheir perfection-crafted cars for the 120-mph ripdown the autobahn to their disciplined home life.

No stereotype about the Germans has the stayingpower as that of the efficient worker bee. Germancompanies are pleased to perpetuate the myth. Luft-hansa boasts of its "passion for perfection." The Mer-cedes claims to be "engineered like no other car inthe world." Adidas says it offers "Everything that isessential. Nothing that is not."

If it sells sneakers, great, but try these slogans onfor size: "Germany: World Vacationing Champion."While the average American's paid time-off droppedby about 15 percent in the 1980s, the averageGerman now racks up a six-week vacation theworld's longest plus enough national holidays togive workers a total of two full months off every year.And how about: "Why work? Get a check." Only 52percent of working-age Germans have jobs com-pared with 63 percent of Americans. College stu-dents here often stretch out their studies over six,eight, even 12 years, living the easy life while the gov-ernment subsidizes their existence with virtually inter-est-free loans. Or "Less work, more pay." Germansnot only boast of the world's shortest work week butcombine it with the globe's highest wages. The aver-age German worker costs $23.50 an hour in wagesand benefits, about one and half times U.S., Japa-nese and British labor costs. In addition, Germanworkers routinely get both a 13th month's salary and

vacation money a lump sum of as much as twoweeks extra pay.

"Germans take the longest vacations of any Euro-peans, pay the highest social security premiums andhave such a degree of complacency and inertia that,looking at it from inside, one can only wonder how, inthe perception of some of our foreign friends, thiscountry still appears to have such an inflated nationalego," says Thomas Kielinger, editor of the Bonnweekly, Rheinischer Merkur.

Germans, in short, have grown accustomed tohaving it all. But behind the good life lie harshertruths. Daimler-Benz Chairman Edzard Reuter, forexample, has warned that rising labor costs and hightaxes will soon force his company to build its Mer-cedes cars outside Germany (Mexico and Russia arepossibilities). And the newspaper Die Welt reportedlast week that Mercedes will cut its workforce by20,000 the first time the auto maker has had todownsize.

Industry and government alike fear that the Ger-man economic miracle faces severe structural prob-lems. Productivity is down while wages continue tosoar. More and more big German companies Sie-mens, Volkswagen, BMW are exporting jobs tocountries where they can pay workers less whileextracting from them more actual work.

Eastern Germany's seemingly endless hunger forcapital is a dangerous drain on the German economy.The government had to hike taxes to raise the $23billion it is pumping east this year. Then the tradeunions demanded hefty raises to cover their workers'higher tax bills.

Now comes the crunch: Do industry and govern-ment give in and contribute to higher inflation andless competitiveness? Or do they stand firm andsuffer paralyzing strikes like this week's? If the past isany guide, the unions will get more or less what theywant. In February, a steelworkers' strike was avertedwhen management offered a raise so large 6.4 per-cent that Germany's central Bundesbank warned itcould destabilize the economy.

"The economy is already in stagnation," says Nor-bert Walter, chief economist at Deutsche Bank. "Bythe American definition, Germany has been in reces-

12

1 9


Deutsche Doze: The Leisurely Lives of Germany's Worker Bees Page 2

sion since last summer. I can only hope Germanemployers stick to their word about holding downwage increases. History tells us this is very hard toachieve."

Consider last year's Great Pinkelpause Debate.German postal and telephone workers staged workslowdowns and sit-down strikes after contract talkshit a snare over the amount of time allotted workersfor bathroom breaks. The previous contract gaveworkers six minutes and 16 seconds for what werecalled relaxation breaks, but the unions insisted on afull 10 minutes. This was no frill: Postal authoritiessaid every additional minute would cost the govern-ment nearly $300 million. The unions eventuallyforced a 20-second increase in each break, but thecontroversy continues over the details, with the postoffice standing by its definition of Pinkelpause (pre-cisely two minutes and 17 seconds).

Germans, as the Pinkelpause Debate suggests,take their time off extremely seriously. Earlier thismonth, all of Germany shut down for Easter not justfor Good Friday and the weekend, but a four-dayextravaganza in which no stores were open and nonewspapers printed for days on end. This happensseveral times a year.

For an outsider, there is nothing as stultifying as aGerman weekend or holiday what a German friendcalls "enforced relaxation," often such quaint activ-ities as feeding the ducks at a lock park. YoungerGermans often complain about the lack of activity,especially if they have spent time abroad. But mostGermans seem genuinely to enjoy having plenty oftime in which nothing can possibly distract them fromtheir appointed leisure.

When Germans hear how little vacation Americansget, their jaws drop. Not only are German workersentitled to six weeks' vacation and 15 annual holi-days, but they work ever-shorter weeks an averageof 20 hours weekly in 1990, down more than 25 per-cent from the 1960 average.

"The Germans don't like to work anymore," saysDietrich von Kyaw, an economist at the German For-eign Ministry. "How can you expand your economywhen you don't like to work? The world should behappy: It has finally realized its goal with regard to the

13

Germans, namely not to be workaholics. That's oneof the reasons you had to fight two wars against usbecause we were so over-eager. Now we are mostlyeager to take vacations."

And there's more: Many Germans liberally expandtheir vacations by taking an average of more thanfour weeks of sick time per worker. German laborexperts estimate that one-third of the days taken offfor illness are bogus.

Calling in sick has become so common that theBonn government is now trying to change the law soworkers would not be paid for the first three days of asick leave. (I've been to German doctors three times,for minor ailments. In each case, the doctor offered towrite a Krankschreibung, a note that would get meoff work for a week or, in the case of the flu, two.)

"Perhaps Germans are more disciplined thanothers," Chancellor Helmut Kohl said earlier this year."But perhaps we aren't quite as disciplined as weused to be." Kohl is said to be upset enough about hiscountrymen's relaxed ways that he summonednational industrial leaders into his office to discusshow to put some oomph back in German work habits.

Germany has never cottoned to the concept of theconvenience society. By federal law, all stores mustclose weekday evenings at 6:30 (many close earlier).Nothing may open Saturday afternoons or any timeSunday. And those limited hours are strictly kept.Buying lunch one Saturday morning at the spectacu-lar food halls of Berlin's largest department store,KaDeWe, I heard the announcement that the storewas closing in five minutes that all customers shouldmove toward the exits.

The man stopped slicing my order of salami andwalked away. I called after him, "Can't I have at leastwhat you've already sliced?"

"Nein," he said, "wir haben Feierabend" "It's quit-ting time." And he was out the back door.

Technological advances that have supposedlymade life more efficient in recent decades have beenaccepted in Germany only reluctantly. Little is so mis-trusted here as the time-saving device, be it the com-puter or the credit card.

There are historical reasons for most of these preju-dices. The society is shot through with fear of gov-

20

Li Activity 1 Handout 1.4

Deutsche Doze: The Leisurely Lives of Germany's Worker Bees

ernment or industry getting its hands on personalinformation. (The definition of what's personal differsfrom ours. The government insists on knowing thereligion of each citizen, and no one seems to mind.)

Credit card companies have made few inroads inthe German market, and personal checking existsonly in a limited and cumbersome form, in goodmeasure because the wild inflation and credit col-lapse of the 1920s has produced generations ofpeople who trust only cold cash.

Americans who count on a minimal level of efficiencyfind themselves missing the plane literally. Lufthansaclerks painstakingly write out tickets by hand, despitehaving computers within arm's reach. In banks, youwait in one line to hand in your withdrawal slip, then inanother to collect your cash. Although some branchesare now equipped with computers (frequently, how-ever, there is only one terminal for five or six tellers), theclerks tend not to use them.

One day at a Deutsche Bank office in Bonn, I stoodbehind a woman who grew more impatient with everysecond she was forced to wait. When it was finallyher turn, the clerk made her wait further while hemade a show of stamping each copy of each formseveral times, then wrote out her orders in longhand.

"The computer is right there," the woman said."Why don't you use it?"

The bank clerk stood up straight and in a right-eously offended tone responded: "There is absolutelynothing automatic about the Deutsche Bank."

There is nothing automatic about the phone sys-tem either, and foreigners are surprised by its back-wardness. It routinely takes four or five months to geta phone installed. Conversations, across the oceanor down the block, are randomly cut off if the Bun-despost needs the line for another customer.*

Faxes, modems, answering machines and othersuch newfangled stuff are illegal unless you are willingto fill out lengthy applications for government permis-sion and then pay exorbitant sums for government-sanctioned models.

Some basic items cannot be had at all. Phoneextensions are illegal in Germany. I asked the Bun-despost why. "Datenschutz," he said. Protection ofdata. To prevent a repetition of Nazi abuses, Ger-

14

Page 3

many has made privacy laws so strict that it is illegalfor someone who lives in your own home to be on thephone line during your conversation.

The mania for privacy does not, however, protectthe citizenry from the broadcast police, who cruiseresidential neighborhoods in panel trucks equippedwith electronic divides that detect the presence oftelevisions, radios, answering machines, modemsand even baby monitors in your home. All such itemsmust be registered with the authorities, and citizensmust pay license fees to use them.

The broadcast police once came to my office inBonn. The agent, claiming to be a fellow journalist,inspected the joint, ignoring my request to know whohe was and what he wanted. Only after he finisheddid he say, "We have you registered for one televisionand one radio. Everything's in order." Somehow hemissed the other four radios in plain view.

So how can it be that such a society is feared byother Europeans as the dominant force of the comingdecades? How can it be that the average Bill Clintonspeech has at least three references to German solu-tions to what ails us?

In fact there are good reasons why Germany, at leastuntil reunification, was able to maintain both its afflu-ence and its generous social system.

Discipline. When they work, they do so, by andlarge, well and fast. Even in crises, most Germansfinish their work in the regular hours and head home.Foreign correspondents based here know to get theircalls in to government offices or private companiesbefore 3 p.m. and before noon on Fridays.

"German inefficiency is organized inefficiency," saysRalf Dahrendorf, the German-born Oxford historian."Shops are closed whenever you want to go shop-ping, but I've never been on a German train thatbroke down. Everyone goes on vacation at the sametime. The system works."

Training. The clerk who sells you bread or a wash-ing machine may seem to have only quitting time inmind, but he actually is vastly better informed andqualified than his U.S. counterpart.

"If you want to buy shoes in Germany, chances arethat the assistant in the shoe shop will have had two

21

1.1 Activity 1 Handout 1.4

Deutsche Doze: The Leisurely Lives of Germany's Worker Bees

years in a technical school a shoe school wherethey will have learned everything there is to knowabout manufacturing, marketing and leather," saidBettina von Hase, a management consultant.

Germany's vast system of apprenticeships, intern-ships and government-supported training programsproduces a workforce that knows its stuff. The ideathat the consumer is always right is abhorrent tomost German service workers, but this attitudestems not so much from rudeness as from the knowl-edge that they indeed do know more than you.

Social homogeneity In a society with one over-whelmingly dominant culture, there is a far greaterwillingness to suffer inconvenience as long as one isassured that everyone else is in the same boat. So,as numerous Germans have argued to me, justbecause Americans like to shop after work or onweekends doesn't mean everyone has to do it. TheGerman concept of fairness says it's not right thatone person should have to work after dark or on Sat-urday if most other people can spend that time withtheir families.

But there is another, uniquely German factor thathelped bring about the dramatic change in attitudestoward work. Since the 1960s, western Germans, asa result of their own confrontations with their elders,have searched for ways to show how different theyare from those who lived during the Nazi period.Being less devoted to work even showing disdainfor the idea of a work-oriented life is a key expres-sion of that quest to be different.

German politicians and industrialists alike worryaloud that their country is drifting toward decline, thata fat and happy nation will fail to see the warningsigns and let the scrappy new economies of easternEurope steal away their jobs.

Don't bet on it. Germany has suffered a decline inefficiency and its workers are coddled and spoiled.But far deeper than the German love for the beachesof Mallorca is the abiding popular need for stability, acomplex of fears stretching back 70 years.

German workers last week took to the streets in alast-ditch effort to save their social welfare state. Itmay not happen this time, but one of these days, aGerman government is going to say no, and then

15

Page 4

German companies will do the same. The day is notfar off when Germans will be forced to choosebetween economic stability and their own leisuresociety.

They'll probably never give up their 13th-monthsalary, but the craving for stability is so ingrained that

in a pinch many Germans would even be satisfiedwith, God forbid, two months off each year.

"Note: In the neantime (1997) the German Bundes-post has lost its telephone monopoly. The systemhas been modernized and lives up to internationalstandards.

from: Marc Fisher, "Deutsche Doze: The LeisurelyLives of Germany's Worker Bees," The WashingtonPost, May 3, 1992, page Cl .

Mr. Fisher is the Central Europe correspondent forThe Washington Post, based in Berlin.

9 9

Activity 2 Worksheet 1.2

Case Study of Two Auto Makers

Daimler-Benz Ford Motor Company

CorporateFinancial Health(Profit/Loss for mostrecent FY)

Average Pay ofWorkers(not includingmanagement)

Description ofWorker Benefits

Role of Labor Union

1623

Lal Activity 3 Worksheet 1.3

Household Income Distribution

Household incomes in Germany vary greatly. InGermany in 1993 the distribution was as follows:

Number of Households Approximate Net Income

2.2 million5.5 million6.3 million3.7 million6.0 million4.1 million4.0 million1.5 million

less than 1,000 DM1,000-1,800 DM1,800-2,500 DM2,500-3,000 DM3,000-4,000 DM4,000-5,000 DM5,000-7,500 DM

more than 7,500 DM

Most workers receive an additional 13th month of pay as a Christmas bonus.

Directions: Create a bar or pictograph which illus-trates the data in the table.1. What is the total number of German households

represented in the table or graph?What percent of German households receivebetween 800-2,500 DM in net income per month(approximately)?

2. About 6.3 million German households earnbetween 1,800 and 2,500 DM per month.What percent of total households does this repre-sent?

3. If the current exchange rate is 1.58 DM per $1.00then how much net income/take-home pay inU.S. money is represented by the 2,500 DM thatseveral million German households earn?

4. If the average net household income is5,197 DM, what would the yearly net incomebe (including the Christmas bonus)? Using 1.58DM/per $1.00 exchange rate, what is that netyearly income in U.S. dollars?

1 7

Lal Activity 4 Transparency 4

Income and Expenditures of Private Households

Average Monthly Income(Example II Family)

Gross - 6,246 DM

Taxes - 514 DM

Social SecurityPremiums - 882 DM

Other Income + 347 DM

ApproximateDisposableIncome

Average Expenditures:

Utilities

Education,Entertainmen

5,197 DM

ie.

tr.\

24% 4

Furniture;car, Travel

17%Rent Clothing

1825


Comparative Expense Data

Table 1Monthly Expenditures

in East and West Germany in 19891. The monthly expenditures for households of a four-person family with a monthly income of 4,014 DM

(average) in West Germany are:

Food 793 DMRent 696 DMEducation/Entertainment 354 DMFurniture/Household Effects 288 DMClothing 267 DMHeat/Water/Electricity/Gas 179 DMDonations/Gifts 139 DMTravelling/Jewelry 121 DMInsurance 113 DMLuxury Articles 110 DMCar 516 DM

2. In former East Germany in 1989 a similar four-person family with a monthly income of 2,321 DM(above average) East German Marks had the following monthly expenditures:

FoodRentEducation/EntertainmentFurnitureClothingHeatMater/Electricity/GasInsurance/Taxes/Other DeductionsLuxury Articles

535 Marks51 Marks54 Marks53 Marks97 Marks33 Marks

534 Marks202 Marks

Table 2Cost of basic items in East and West Germany in 1989

West East

1 kg bread 10 minutes2.5 kg potatoes 8 minutesrent 22 hours 18 minutes250 g ground coffee 15 minutesrefrigerator 30 hourscolor television 84 hours

11 hours2 hours

215 hours739 hours

5 minutes4 minutes

19 minutes38 minutes

19

0 G


Germany and the United States:A Comparative Economic Review Page 1

Germany is roughly 25 times smaller than the United States the size of the state of Montana with a popula-tion density eight times greater than the United States'. Germany's GDP is about one third the size of the UnitedStates'. However, Germany's GDP per capita is slightly higher than the United States'.

General Facts:

Land Area

Population

Population Densitiy

Employed Persons

Germany137,821 sq. miles

81.4 millionEast:15.6 West: 65.8

590 persons/sq. mile

35 million

United States3,536,338 sq.miles

260.8 million

73.7 persons/sq.mile

128 million

Gross Domestic Product: (current prices/in billions)

WesternGermany

EasternGermany

Germany United States

1994 $1,833.4 $213.9 $2,047.3 $6,931.41995 $2,150.5 $262.3 $2,412.9 $7,245.8

GDP percapita $31,090.0 $16,060.0 $29,643.0 $27,783.0

Consumer Price Index:

Western Eastern Germany * United StatesGermany * Germany

1994 3.0% 3.4% 2.7%

1995 1.7% 2.1% 1.8% 2.5%

1996 1.4% 1.6% 1.4% 3.0%(Oct.'95-Oct. '96)

* Germany introduced a CPI for all of Germany in the second half of 1995.

Unemployment*:Western Eastern Germany United StatesGermany Germany

1994 8.2% 15.30% 9.6% 6.1%

1995 8.3% 14.07% 9.4% 5.6%

1996 (Oct.) 9.0% 14.70% 10.1% 5.2%

1996 (Oct.absolute figures) 2,768,259 1,097,572 3,866,831 6,948,000* U.S. figures are based on a survey sample of the total civilian labor force in the non-institutionalpopulation, 16 years and older. German figures are based on the actual total civilian labor force.

20

27


Germany and the United States: A Comparative Economic Review

GDP: Germany and the United States

2.9%2.2%

3.4%

2.1%1.6% 1.5%

2.2%

-1.2%

Germany

UnitedStates

1993 1994 1995 1996

(projected)

% change from the previous year/real GDP

Federal Budget: (in billions)

1995 Germany United StatesExpenditures $324.1 $1,514.4Balance $35.1 $163.8Deficit as % ofExpenditures 10.9% 10.8%

1996 (projected)Expenditures $314.8 $1,570.1(% change) (-2.9%)

Balance $41.9(+3.7%)

$116.8

Interest Rates: (Oct.'96)

Germany3-Monats-Geld/3-Month Treasury Bills 3.1%10-YearGovernment Bonds 6.0%

United States

5.4%

6.6%

21

GDP: Eastern and Western Germany

7.2%

8.5%

2.4%

5.6%

1.6%

5%

1%

.8%

1993 1994 1995 1996

(projected)

% change from the previous year/real GDP

Page 2

Eastern

Western

Federal Debt: (in billions)

1985Absolute% of GDP1995

Germany United States$133.40 $1,817.50

21.5% 45.8%

Absolute $896.30% of GDP 37.1%per capita $11,011.00

$4,988.6067.9%

$19,128.00

Trade Balance: (Goods/in billions)

1995Export(% change from 1994)

Import(% change from 1994)

Trade Balance

23

Germany$507.5(+ 5.4%)

$442.4(+ 2.7%)

+ $65.2

United States$575.9(+ 14.6%)

$749.5(+ 12.1%)

$175.7


Germany and the United States: A Comparative Economic Review Page 3

Wages and Hours

Industrial Hourly Wages(thereof social benefits/as %)

Hours Worked

WesternGermany

$29 *($13/45%)

1,620

EasternGermany

$18($7/41.5%)

1,737

Germany UnitedStates

$19($6/30%)

1,896

* Wages are rounded off, percentages are actual

German Trade in Goods with the U.S.

The United States is Germany's largest tradingpartner outside the European Union. In recent years,Germany's trade balance with the United States hasshown a small surplus.

Trade in Goods: (in billions)

Exports Imports Balance

1992 $28.5 $28.3 + $0.2311993 $31.2 $26.7 + $4.471994 $36.1 $29.6 + $6.51995 $38.1 $31.3 + $6.8

1995 Exports

The United States was Germany's third largestexport market, accounting for 7.5% of all Germanexports. Germany was the sixth largest exportmarket for the United States, accounting for 3.9% ofall United States exports.

Germany's principal exports to the United Stateswere: automobiles (24%), machinery (23.9%) andelectrical goods (11.7%).

1995 Imports

Germany was the fifth largest shipper of goods tothe United States, with 4.9% of all United Statesimports coming from Germany. The United Stateswas the fourth largest shipper of goods to Germanywith 7.1% of all German imports coming from theUnited States.

Germany's principal imports from the United Stateswere: machinery (23.4%), electrical goods (20.1%),aircraft (9.9%) and food products (5.9%).

22

German Trade in Services with the U.S.

Trade in Services: (private and government/in billions)

Exports Imports Balance

1994 $12.4 $11.5 + 0.91995 $13.5 $14.0 0.5

Balance in Current Account:

Germany United States

1994 $22.82 $148.411995 $16.53 $148.15

Direct Investments Abroad: (historical cost basis/in billions)

Thru 1994Thru 1995

fromGermany*

$203.38n.a.

fromUnited States**

$621.04$711.62

On a historical cost basis thru 1995, Germanyaccounted for 8.6% of all foreign direct investmentsin the U.S.

Foreign Direct Investments: (historical cost basis/in billions)

in Germany* in United States**

Thru 1994 $151.08 $502.41Thru 1995 n.a. $560.09

*source: German Federal Ministry of Economics**source: "Survey of Current Business" 7/96

29

Li Activity 6 Handout 1.6

Germany and the United States: A Comparative Economic Review Page 4

On a historical cost basis through 1995, U.S.investments in Germany accounted for 6.04% of allU.S. direct investments abroad.

1995 Net Investments

With regards to 1995 net investment figures, theU.S. was the first location of choice outside of the EUfor German direct investments. 17.3% of all Germandirect investments went to the U.S.

Following two strong years of investments in Ger-many, in 1995 the U.S. accounted for only 0.31% ofall foreign direct investments in Germany. (1994:13.4%, 1993: 22.6%)

Foreign Subsidiaries

In the U.S., there are approximately 1,300 Germansubsidiaries employing over 600,000 people. In Ger-many there are more than 2,000 American subsidiar-ies with over 800,000 employees. Among theGerman companies that have recently made largeinvestments in the U.S. are Hoechst (Kansas City,MO), BMW (Spartanburg, SC), and Mercedes Benz(Tuscaloosa, AL).

U.S. Investments in the Eastern Part of Germany

Americans are among the largest group of inves-tors in the eastern part of Germany. Over 300 Ameri-can firms are active in the region. American invest-ments to date in Germany's eastern region totalapproximately $8 billion and have secured about55,000 jobs. Among the American companies thathave made large investments in the eastern part ofGermany are: Coca-Cola, Dow Chemical, GeneralMotors' Adam Opel AG, and Morrison Knudson'sand NRG Energy's Mibrag. These investments alonetotaled over $2.67 billion.

23

f 31

L2

Lesson 2 Government in Germany

Lesson Objectives


The student will be able to:

describe the basic structure of government in Germany and how poweris transferred through elections.

analyze the federal budget of Germany and compare it with federal

expenditures in the United States.

discuss the different approaches in Germany and the U.S. to providing

health and retirement insurance.

Activity 1 - Structure of German Government

Transparency 5A

Transparency 5B

Teacher Resource 2.1

Worksheet 2.1

Activity 2 - Political Parties in Germany

Transparency 6

Transparency 7

Handout 2.1

Worksheet 2.2

Activity 3 - Elections in Germany

Handout 2.2

Activity 4 - Health Care in Germany

Transparency 8

Handout 2.3

Handout 2.4

Activity 5 - German Federal Budget

Transparency 9

Handout 2.5

Activity 6 - Social Security in Germany

Transparency 10

Handout 2.6

25

"The Most Important German Political Institutions"

"The Formation of the Bundesrat"

"The Most Important German Political Institutions"

"Constitutional Provisions for Elections"

"Political Parties in the German Bundestag"

"Ballot"

"The Political Parties"

"Comparing Voting in the United States and the

Federal Republic of Germany"

"Interest in Politics and Where It Comes From"

"Social Security: Health Insurance"

"Social Security: German Health Insurance"

"Quality, Affordable Health Care"

"The Federal Budget"

"German Federal Budget"

"Social Security"

"Social Security"

31

L2

Activities

Activity 1 - Structure of German GovernmentGermany has a parliamentary style of government

with two houses, a president and a chancellor. How-ever, the powers afforded to each of these institutionsdiffer widely from those exercised in the UnitedStates. Provide students with information concerningimportant German political institutions (e.g. Bundes-tag and the office of the federal president). Transpa-rencies 5A and 5B and Teacher Resource 2.1 explainthe relationship among these various political institu-tions. The Constitution establishes the statutory pro-visions on elections in the U.S., while the Basic Lawdefines the same powers in Germany. DistributeWorksheet 2.1 "Constitutional Provisions for Elec-tions" and have students summarize the effect thatvarious provisions from each country's political docu-ment have had on voter participation.

Activity 2 - Political Parties in Germany

Political life in Germany is dominated by severallarge parties. This is especially true in the Bundestag(the popularly elected branch of the federal legislaturecorresponding more or less to our House of Repre-sentatives, or more exactly, to the British House ofCommons). Show Transparencies 6 and 7 and dis-tribute Handout 2.1 "The Political Parties" to smallgroups of students as well. Ask each group to reviewthe information and then respond to the followingscenarios referring to the ballot on Transparency 7:You are an 18-year-old German student who isactively involved with environmental issues and theanti-nuclear movement. How would you mark theballot? A [Stefanie Hering, Die GrOnen]. For almost100 years your family has belonged to a politicalparty that has supported labor. Your grandfather con-tinued his affiliation even after Hitler outlawed theparty in 1933. You are continuing your family's politi-cal tradition. How would you mark the ballot? A[Horst Ehmke, SPD]. You support Kohl and his poli-cies but personally like Stefanie Hering as a candi-date to represent your district. How would you markthe ballot? A [Stefanie Hering, Die Grunen]. Yourecently moved to Bonn from East Germany. Thoughyour politics are liberal, you never supported theCommunist system. How would you mark the ballot?A [lngeborg, Wend, F.D.P.]. Distribute Worksheet2.2 "Comparing Voting in the United States and the

27

Federal Republic of Germany" for students to com-plete as a summary and review of information cov-ered in this lesson.

Activity 3 - Elections in Germany

Part of the democratic heritage of the United Statesis political interest and participation in elections at alllevels of government. However, in recent presidentialelections approximately 50% of the citizens eligible tovote actually cast their ballots. Furthermore, manyvoters seem to know little about major public issuesaffecting the nation and are unfamiliar with the candi-dates on the ballot. In contrast, German citizens havea much higher election turnout, averaging 75% orhigher in recent federal elections. To ascertain thelevel of political interest and its source among U.S.students as compared with that in Germany, dividethe class into groups of three or four to conduct sur-veys in the school and/or community. Ask respon-dents to identify the chief source(s) of their informa-tion regarding political news (friends, parents, news-paper, television, discussion groups, club/unions,political parties). Tally the responses for the class andplace the results on the chalkboard or overheadtransparency. Have students construct a graph fromthe data. Distribute copies, or use a transparency, ofGerman youths' answers to the same question(Handout 2.2 "Interest in Politics and Where It ComesFrom") and ask for observations, similarities and dif-ferences.

Activity 4 - Health Care in Germany

Assign students or student groups the followingscenario:

You are a member of President Clinton's planningteam to revise and implement a national health planin the United States. One model for the proposedU.S. system is the German health care system, whichhas been in place for more than 100 years.

Using Transparency 8 "Social Security: Health Insu-rance," Handout 2.3 "Social Security: German HealthInsurance," Handout 2.4 "Quality, Affordable HealthCare" and current event articles, ask students to pre-pare a proposal which compares similarities and dif-ferences of the German system with the proposedClinton plan. The paper should also contain recom-mendations that relate to the following questions:

3 2

L2

What is the specific financial responsibility of Germans approach this same dilemma, especiallyemployers? Of employees? after the tremendous tax increases related to unifica-What is the specific financial responsibility of the tion?federal government to provide care for unemployedcitizens?What specific measures (e.g. incentives, penalties)are designed to keep health costs low?After composing the proposal, have students dis-

cuss the obstacles to its implementation (e.g. con-gressional opposition, increasing the national deficit).Compare such problems with those being addressedin Germany in light of the financial burdens imposedby unification.

Activity 5 - German Federal BudgetHave students review Transparency 9 and Handout

2.5 "German Federal Budget" to compare the majorbudget categories, revenue sources and budget pro-cedures with those used in the United States. Havestudents call their congressional representatives orfederal agencies to obtain similar information aboutthe current U.S. federal budget, including U.S. socialsecurity expenditures. Using the information in Trans-parency 9 "The Federal Budget" have students cal-culate the percentage of the budget devoted tosocial security. Remember, in Germany "social secur-ity" includes both retirement benefits as well as gen-eral health care provisions. Compare the relativeexpenditures by both governments. If the proposedhealth plan for the U.S. costs $100 billion to imple-ment, how much of the total budget would thisbecome? Discuss with students what the relativeexpenditures in each country communicate about thepriorities and/or values in each national culture.

Activity 6 - Social Security in GermanyAnother problem facing both countries is the grow-

ing percentage of citizens reaching retirement age rel-ative to those paying into the retirement system. Havestudents imagine that they are members of the U.S.Congress who must develop a method for continuedfunding of the increased social security costs throughthe year 2025. Set up a debate as to whether taxesshould be increased or other federal programs cut inorder to finance the increased retirement costs.Based on the information presented in Handout 2.6"Social Security," and Transparency 10, how might

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33

L2 Activity 1 Transparency 5A

The Most Important German Political Institutions

Federal President

Federal Chancellor Bundesversammlung(Special Assembly whichmeets every five years to r

elect the Federal President)

'.0

(Directly elected House of the Fede alBundestag Parliament - represents the people

*1***1 ttttgot:Obk ttfee**4i Voters ri rtitp

(Second House of the FederalBundesrat Parliament - represents the states)

Landesregierungen(GSotavteern

ments)

Länderparlamente (StateParliaments)

29

" 3 4

L2 Activity 1 Transparency 5B

The Formation of the Bundesrat

The Bundesrat has atotal of 68 Members

(representing the states asshown on the map)

-34Schleswig-

Holstein ecklenburg-Western-

rg Pomerania

30

BEST COPY AVAILABLE , 35

L2 Activity 1 Teacher Resource 2.1


The most important German political institutions are:

the Bundestag The (first house of the) federalparliament;the Bundesrat The second house of the Germanparliament whose members represent the federalstates;the Bundesregierung The federal administration,consisting of the Chancellor and his cabinet, usu-ally elected from the Bundestag;the Bundesprasident The head of state, (theFederal President) representing Germany as awhole aloof from actual politics or the running ofthe government.

The Bundestag

The Bundestag is elected by the people every fouryears. The Bundesprasident nominates a candidatefor the position of Chancellor, who is then elected by.the Bundestag (always the head of the ruling party orcoalition.)

Any representative in the Bundestag or Bundesrat,or (as is most often the case) the Bundesregierung.-(executive branch or administration) may proposdlegislation, which is then debated in the Bundestag(first and second reading.) Most of the real work ofreviewing and discussing legislation is done in thestanding committees (consisting of 13-33 membersfrom different parties.) When a vote is taken in the fullsession of the Bundestag, each member votesaccording to his/her conscience.

Legislation that affects the federal states must beapproved also by the Bundesrat.

The President of the Bundestag ranks second inthe hierarchy after the Bundespräsident.

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Page 1

The Bundesrat

The Bundesrat is the second chamber of the parlia-ment. It represents the federal states. Its membershipis not elected by direct national vote, but delegatedby the state governments.

Depending on its population, each state sendsthree to six representatives to the Bundesrat (seeTransparency 5B).

The Bundesrat consists of 68 members. The presi-dent of the Bundesrat, who acts as the federalpresident's deputy, is one of the prime ministers ofthe federal states (or the mayors of the city-states ofBerlin, Hamburg, and Bremen), who serves in thiscapacity in rotation, holding the office for one year.Therefore, the prime minister of any one statebecomes President of the Bundesrat once every 16years (there are 16 states.)

The Bundesrat has an important function in the leg-islative process. The Bundesrat's consent is requiredfor constitutional amendments and for federal legisla-tion which directly affects state affairs. On otherissues, the Bundesrat may enter an objection to alaw passed by the Bundestag, but its objection maybe overridden by a majority of Bundestag members.

If the Bundestag and the Bundesrat fail to agree,the Joint Committee which consists of members ofboth houses is asked to consider the matter. Inmost cases this committee has managed to work outa compromise. In case no compromise is reached,the legislation is set aside.

The balance of political forces in the Bundesratchanges if the majority party in a federal state losesthe next state election. Therefore the case can arisewhere the majority party in the Bundestag and theBundesrat are different.

The President of the Bundesrat stands in for theFederal President when he is absent.

3C3



The BundespräsidentThe Federal President is the head of state. He rep-

resents Germany in international affairs, concludingtreaties with other countries and receiving the cre-dentials of foreign ambassadors and envoys, andcultivating the image of Germany in the rest of theworld. He formally appoints and dismisses federalcivil servants, federal judges, and officers of the fed-eral Armed Forces. His freedom of decision is limitedsince his directives and orders require the countersig-nature of the Federal Chancellor or the appropriateFederal Minister.

The political powers of the Federal President aredescribed in the Basic Law (constitution). The idea ofthe drafters of the Basic Law was to have a head ofstate with severely limited powers, to avoid the mis-takes of the past.

The Federal President has no direct influence onother constitutional bodies. He remains apart fromparty politics.

A law comes into effect when it is signed by theFederal President.

The Federal President is not directly elected by thepeople. He is elected by a majority vote of a specialassembly called the Bundesversammlung, whichmeets every five years just for this purpose and con-sists of the members of the Bundestag and an equalnumber of representatives of the state legislatures.

The Federal President serves for five years.

Page 2

The BundesregierungThe German Federal Government, the "Cabinet", is

made up of the Federal Chancellor and the FederalMinisters. The Chancellor presides over the FederalCabinet. He selects the ministers and makesproposals that are binding on the Federal Presidentfor their appointment or dismissal. The Chancelloralso decides the number of ministers and theirportfolios. He lays down the government policyguidelines. In accordance with these guidelines theFederal Ministers manage their portfoliosindependently and on their own responsibility.

In the course of day-to-day politics, the Chancellormust also have regard for agreements with partnersin the government coalition. Not without reason isGermany's system of government termed a"chancellorship democracy." The Federal Chancelloris the only cabinet member elected by parliament,and he alone is answerable to it.

32

37

L2 Activity 1 Worksheet 2.1

Constitutional Provisions for Elections

United States

Constitution Relationship to Elections

1. Article II, Section 1

2. 15th Amendment

3. 19th Amendment

4. 24th Amendment

5. 26th Amendment

Basic German Law

1. Article 38

33

38



United States

1. Article H, Section 1, of the Constitution

[States Conduct Presidential Election]This section establishes the right of the States to

conduct presidential elections or, more precisely, toappoint Electors to the Electoral College. It reads, inpart:

"Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as theLegislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors,equal to the whole Number of Senators and Repre-sentatives to which the State may be entitled in theCongress: but no Senator or Representative, orPerson holding an Office of Trust or Profit under theUnited States, shall be appointed an Elector."

and later "The Congress may determine the Timeof choosing the Electors, and the Day on which theyshall give their Votes; which Day shall be the samethroughout the United States."

[NOTES: (1) The clause separating these two para-graphs describes the original manner in which presi-dential Electors were to cast their votes for presidentand vice president a procedure which was slightlyaltered in 1804 by the passage of the 12th Amend-ment. (2) There is nothing in the Constitution or forthat matter in federal statute that requires States toconduct a direct popular vote for president (or forpresidential Electors). The manner of choosing presi-dential Electors remains a matter for each State,although all States since 1860 have employed thedirect popular vote for presidential Electors. Beforethat, however, several States chose their presidentialElectors by a vote of their State legislature rather thanby popular vote.]

2. The 15th Amendment to the Constitution (1870)

[Racial Barriers]This Amendment eliminates racial barriers to voting

and reads, in part:

34

Key, Page 1

"The right of citizens of the United States to voteshall not be denied or abridged by the United Statesor by any State on account of race, color, or previouscondition of servitude."


[Gender Barriers]This Amendment eliminates sexual barriers to

voting and reads, in part: "The right of citizens of theUnited States to vote shall not be denied or abridgedby the United States or by any State on account ofsex."


[Poll Tax]

This Amendment eliminates poll taxes as a condi-tion to voting in federal elections and reads, in part:"The right of citizens of the United States to vote inany primary or other election for President or VicePresident, for electors for President or Vice Presi-dent, or for Senator or Representative in Congress,shall not be denied or abridged by the United Statesor any State by reason of failure to pay any poll taxor other tax." [NOTE: The Voting Rights Act of1965, as amended, extends the prohibition on polltaxes to cover all elections by virtue of the 14th,15th and 24th Amendments to the Constitution(see also Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections383 U.S. 663, 86 S.Ct. 1079, 16 L. Ed. 2d 169,1966).]


[Age Barriers]This Amendment prohibits States from establishing

any age over 18 as the minimum age for voting(although they may, if they choose, adopt a lowerage).

It reads, in part: "The right of citizens of the UnitedStates, who are eighteen years of age or older, tovote shall not be denied or abridged by the UnitedStates or by any State on account of age."

39



Federal Republic of Germany

Article 38 [Elections]

The deputies to the German Bundestag shall beelected in general, direct, free, equal, and secretelections. They shall be representatives of the wholepeople, not bound by orders and instructions, andshall be subject only to their conscience.

Anyone who has attained the age of eighteen yearsshall be entitled to vote; anyone who has attained fulllegal age shall be eligible for election.

Details shall be regulated by a federal law.

35

4 0

Key, Page 2

L2 Activity 2 Transparency 6

Political Parties in the German Bundestag

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Alliance 90/The Greens

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FreeDemocratic

Party

PDS

Party ofGerman

Socialism

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4 1.BEST COPY AVABABLE


Ballot

Ballotfor the elections to theGerman Bundestag in

the Bonn voting district 63on 2nd December 1990

one vote for a votingdistrict representative

*you have two votes

Stenmzettel

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BEST COPY AVAILABLE3 7

4 2

L2 Activity 2 Handout 2.1

The Political Parties

In the Bundestag, the German Parliament, the follow-ing parties are represented:

CDU

The CDU, the Christian Democratic Union, wasfounded in 1945. In Germany in the middle of 1993the CDU had 685,300 members. In October of 1990the West German CDU and the East German CDUmerged. The chairman of the party is the presentchancellor Helmut Kohl, who was reelected.

The CDU does not exist in the state of Bavaria. Itssister party, with which it is allied, is called the CSUthe Christian Social Union. The chairman of the CSUis the Minister of Finance Theo Waigel. In the Bun-destag the two sister parties form one joint parlia-mentary CDU/CSU block.

SPD

The tradition of another political party, the SPD(Social Democratic Party of Germany) goes back tothe 19th century. The SPD is a re-creation of theformer mainly labor-oriented party of the same namewhich the Hitler regime outlawed in 1933. In 1993 theSPD in Germany had 886,000 members. In Septem-ber of 1990 the east and west branches of the partymerged. The chairman of the party is Oskar Lafon-taine.

F.D.P.

The F.D.P. (the Free Democratic Party) wasfounded after 1945. It has 92,470 members(1994).The chairman of the F.D.P. is WolfgangGerhardt.

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen

(Alliance 90/The Greens) was formed whenBOndnis 90, an eastern German grassroots move-ment, merged with The Greens, a western Germanparty. The Greens evolved from citizens' initiativesand the environmental movement; they formallyestablished themselves as a party in 1980. As of1994, the Greens numbered 40,700 members. Theirco-chairpersons are Gunda Röstel and Jurgen Trittin.

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Page 1

PDS

The Party of Democratic Socialism, was founded inFebruary 1990 in East Berlin, and it is the successorto East Germany's Party of Socialist Unity (Sozialisti-sche Einheitspartei Deutsch lands, SED). Whereasthe SED was some 2.3 million strong, the PDS hasonly about 115,000 members. In the eastern GermanLander (states), it has 112,500 members and is thestrongest party. In western Germany, the party hasonly 2,500 members. The party's chairman is LotharBisky.

4 3



Political Parties TodayAny German citizen may form a political party, as

long as it follows the guideline set down in theGerman constitution. Altogether there are about 40political parties or party-like organizations in Germanytoday.

In the first elections held in the unified country, Ger-many was divided into two electoral districts. Theelectoral district that had been West Germany plusWest Berlin the five-percent stipulation was in effectwhich is a federal and state regulation that states thata party must have at least 5% of the vote to win aseat in parliament. In order to make the chanceseven for all the political parties this rule was waivedfor the region that had been former East Germanyand East Berlin. This was true only for that one firstelection.

In the last few years women have become muchmore active in politics, not only as rank-and-file, butalso in positions of leadership. In 1988 the SPDpassed a 40%-women-quota, which provided that40% of political offices and seats in parliament shouldbe held by women. This quota was largely reached inthe area of political offices by the middle of 1990.

Political parties are financed by membership duesand from contributions, which come mainly frombusiness. In addition the parties also receive moneyfrom the government 1.30 DM a year for the first 5million "second votes" in a federal election, for everyother vote 1.00 DM, as long as they get the minimum5%.

There are numerous popular political movementsthat take place mainly outside of the political estab-lishment. These movements usually address them-selves to particular problems, of which the mostimportant is environmental protection.

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Page 2



Elections for the Federal Parliament (The Bundestag)

The Bundestag is the representative body of theGerman people. It is completely re-elected every fouryears (i.e. not staggered like our congress) and cur-rently meets in Bonn.

The representatives of the Bundestag are elected ingeneral, free, direct, equal, and secret elections.Every citizen who is at least 18 years old is eligible tovote and may run for election to a seat in parliament.

The Federal Election of December 2, 1990 wasfundamentally different from every previous election.For the first time all Germans (e.g. east and west)could participate in a federal parliamentary election.

Previously Germany was divided into 248 electoraldistricts, but now it has 328 electoral districts.

Each voter has two votes in the Bundestag elec-tion. The first vote is cast for a specific candidate (forhis electoral district). The winner of a plurality of thesevotes represents that electoral district in the Bundes-tag. The second vote is cast for a party. A list of can-didates for this vote is drawn up by each party ineach federal state: the Landesliste, which may con-tain some 10-30 names of leading politicians, listedaccording to their influence in the party. The totalnumber of seats each party receives in the Bundes-tag is determined by its total nationwide share of thesecond votes. Once the seats won by individual can-didates in the first votes have been filled, the remain-der of a party's allotment is filled from its Landesliste,starting at the top.

Half of the 672 members of the Bundestag areelected from the first vote and thus directly electedfrom the electoral district, and half are appointed froma party's Landesliste, the number of seats a partygets depending on its percentage of "second" votes.

Only parties that command at least 5% of the"second" votes or hold three direct mandates in theFederal Territory (seats won through the "first votes")can be represented in the Bundestag. This 5%clause was introduced to prevent splinter groupsfrom entering parliament and rendering it unable tofunction, as they had during the Weimar Republic erain the twenties.

In order to make the first federal election of theunited Germany as fair as possible, the 5% clausewas waived for this one election for the citizens in theterritory that had been East Germany.

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Page 3

Parties may form coalitions and draw up a joint listof candidates.

Voting in the election is voluntary. In the first federalelection held in the unified Germany on October 16,1994 79% of eligible voters voted.

The election for the 13th German Bundestag onOctober 16, 1994 had the following results:

PartyCDU/CSUSPDaindnis 90/Die Grünen(Alliance '90/The Greens)F.D.P.PDS

Percentage of VotesTotal

41.5%36.4%

7.3%6.9%4.4%

This resulted into the following allotment of seats inthe Bundestag:CDU/CSU 294 seatsSPD 252 seatsBündnis 90/Die Grünen(Alliance '900-he Greens) 49 seatsF. D. P. 47 seatsPDS 30 seats

The PDS was able to get seats in the Bundestag(although it had less than 5% overall) because itreceived more than 5% in the eastern sector.

In addition to the Bundestag there are state parlia-ments and local assemblies.

These elections are run basically like the federalelections, but the voters for the most part cast onlyone vote (i.e. no "second vote" for a party).

The government gives the political parties 1.30 DMfor each of the "second votes" it receives in a federalelection.

This reduces the political influence of campaigncontributions.

Transparency 7 shows the ballot for the 65thelectoral district (Bonn) for the October 16, 1994election.

4 5


Comparing Voting in the United States and theFederal Republic of Germany

Who may vote? (Age)

United States FRG

How is voter registrationhandled?

How often are elections held forfederal offices?

What is the role ofpolitical parties?

What proportions of eligiblevoters actually vote in nationalelections?

For which offices do the peoplecast, direct votes?

a) Germans have two votes: Explain.

b) Under what circumstances might an election beheld more frequently than every 4th year?

c) Neither the German Chancellor nor the U.S. Presi-dent is elected to office directly, but how does theprocess differ?

41

46


Interest in Politics and Where It Comes From

Medium/communication activityPrivate TV networks(for example, RTL, SAT 1, PRO 7)

Public TV networks(for example, ARD, ZDF, "3rd channels")

Personal conversations withfriends and acquaintances

Daily newspapers

Radio

30-20-

Weekly magazines

Local newspapers

2.43 I/E17.41 .E

Averages calculated using points as follows:"use/engage in very often" = 4; "use/engage in often" = 3;"use/engage in seldom" = 2; "never use/engage in" = 1.

42

4 7


Social Security: Health Insurance

43

5 ' 4 3 BEST COPY AVAILABLE


Social Security: German Health Insurance

Health care is also part of the concept of "socialsecurity" in Germany. There has been a health caresystem in Germany for more than 100 years.

The costs of health insurance are paid for bymonthly premiums. Depending on the insurance car-rier the premiums are between 11.5% and 13.5% ofthe gross earnings. Half of the premium is paid by theemployee and half by the employer.

Unemployed wives or husbands are coveredby the insurance of the partner and minor children bythe insurance of the father or mother. Unemployedpeople are covered by health care insurance pro-vided by the government.

In 1990 the Federal Ministry of Health was workingon a plan to bring the health care in former East Ger-many up to par with that in the west. The well-estab-lished elements of the former health care systemwere to be retained. In July of 1990 the health-caresystem was reorganized. The government-run healthinsurance system was dissolved in favor of a multi-plicity of competing health-insurance carriers. In1995 the average monthly premium was 13.5% ofgross monthly earnings.

The health insurance covers care by physiciansand dentists, medicine, hospital visits, check-ups,visits to health resorts, etc.

All German citizens are insured against the financialdisadvantages of illness, be it as obligatory or volun-tary members of government health insurance pro-grams or as members of private health insuranceprograms. In government health insurance there is anobligatory membership for all wage earners, regard-less of income, as well as for salaried staff and anumber of other vocation groups up to a certainincome. Also insured against illness are pensioners,unemployed, vocational trainees (apprentices) andstudents. Those not obligated to insure themselvescan continue to do so voluntarily under certain condi-tions in the government program.

Government employees, self-employed people andemployees with large incomes are as a rule privatelyinsured.

Companies with at least 450 employees may formtheir own so-called "entrepreneurial" health insuranceprograms when the workers and management agreeto do so.

44

In case of illness each insured person receiveshis/her full wage or salary for up to six weeks of ill-ness. After that the health insurance fund pays sick-ness benefits for up to 72 weeks equivalent to theregular net wage or salary.

The payment procedure is very simple for the insu-rance member. The patient simply hands a member-ship card to the doctor. The doctor bills the insurancefund directly. In private insurance programs thepatient pays the doctor and is reimbursed by theinsurance company.

The income the insurance programs receivethrough monthly premiums has been greatlyexceeded in the past few years by the amount thathas had to be paid out.

In order to control the rising health care costs, newhealth care regulations came into effect in 1989, withsome of the provisions not coming into effect until1990. For example, people receiving retirement ben-efits now have to pay health insurance premiums, theinsurance payment for prescription drugs, glasses,false teeth, and hospital visits has been raised, andvisits to health resorts is no longer free.

Health resorts are popular in Germany. An insuredperson can spend a few weeks in a health resort inorder to get over an illness or to strengthen his healthin order to prevent illness. An employee can visit ahealth resort every three years.

4 9


Quay, Affordable Health Care

The American health care system costs too muchand does not work. Instead of putting people first,the government in Washington has favored the insu-rance companies, drug manufacturers, and healthcare bureaucracies. We cannot build the economy oftomorrow until we guarantee every American theright to quality, affordable health care.

Washington has ignored the needs of middle classfamilies and let health care costs soar out of control.American drug companies have raised their pricesthree times faster than the rate of inflation, forcingAmerican consumers to pay up to six times morethan Canadians or Europeans for the same drugs.Insurance companies routinely deny coverage toconsumers with "pre-existing conditions" and wastebillions on bureaucracy and administration. Twelveyears ago Americans spent $249 billion on healthcare. This year we'll spend more than $800 billion.

Health care costs are now the number one causeof bankruptcy and labor disputes.

They threaten our ability to compete, adding$700 to the cost of every car made in America. Ourcomplex system chokes consumers and providerswith paper, requiring the average doctor to spend80 hours a month on paper work. It invites fraudand abuse. We spend more on health care thanany nation on earth and don't get our money'sworth.

Our people still live in fear. Today almost 60 millionAmericans have inadequate health insurance ornone at all. Every year working men and women areforced to pay more while their employers cover less.Small businesses are caught between going brokeand doing right by their employees. Infants die atrates that exceed countries blessed with far fewerresources. Across our nation older Americans live infear that they will fall ill and lose everything or bank-rupt their children's dreams trying to pay for the carethey deserve.

America has the potential to provide the world'sbest, most advanced and cost-effective health care.What we need are leaders who are willing to take onthe insurance companies, the drug companies, and

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by Bill Clinton

Page 1

the health care bureaucracies and bring health carecosts down.

My health care plan is simple in concept but revolu-tionary in scope. First, we will move to radically con-trol costs by changing incentives, reducing paper-work and cracking down on drug and insurancecompany practices. As costs drop, we will phase inguaranteed universal access through employer orpublic programs to basic medical coverage. Com-panies will be required to insure their employees, withfederal assistance in the early years to help themmeet their obligations. Health care providers willfinally have incentives to reduce costs and improvequality for consumers. American health care willmake sense.

My plan will put people first by guaranteeing quality,affordable health care. No American will go withouthealth care, but in return everyone who can must sharethe cost of their care. The main elements include:

National spending caps. The cost of health caremust not be allowed to rise faster than the averageAmerican's income. I will scrap the Health CareFinancing Administration and replace it with ahealth standards board made up of consumers,providers, business, labor and government thatwill establish annual health budget targets and out-line a core benefits package.Universal coverage. Affordable, quality health carewill be a right, not a privilege. Under my plan,employers and employees will either purchase pri-vate insurance or opt to buy into a high-qualitypublic program. Every American not covered by anemployer will receive the core benefits package setby the health standards board.Managed care networks. Consumers will be able toselect from among a variety of local health net-works, made up of insurers, hospitals, clinics, anddoctors. The networks will receive a fixed amountof money for each consumer, giving them the nec-essary incentive to control costs.Eliminate drug price gouging. To protect Americanconsumers and bring down prescription drugprices, I will eliminate tax breaks for drug compa-


Quality, Affordable Health Care

nies that raise their prices faster than Americans'incomes rise.Take on the insurance industry. To stand up to thepowerful insurance lobby and stop consumersfrom paying billions in administrative waste, weneed to streamline the industry. My health plan willinstitute a single claim form and ban underwritingpractices that waste billions to discover whichpatients are bad risks. Any insurance companythat wants to do business will have to take allcorners and charge every business in a communitythe same rate. No cornpany will be able to denycoverage to individuals with pre-existing condi-tions.Fight bureaucracy and billing fraud. To controlcosts and trim the "paper hospital," my plan willreplace expensive billing, coding and utilizationreview functions with a simplified, streamlined bill-ing system. Everyone will carry "smart cards"

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Page 2

coded with his or her personal medical informa-tion. We will also crack down on billing fraud andremove incentives that invite abuse.Core benefits package. Every American will beguaranteed a basic health benefits package thatincludes ambulatory physician care, inpatient hos-pital care, prescription drugs, and basic mentalhealth. The package will allow consumers tochoose where to receive care and includeexpanded preventive treatments such as prenatalcare, mammograms and routine health screenings.We'll provide more services to the elderly and thedisabled by expanding medicare to include morelong-term care.Equal costs. All businesses, regardless of size, willpay a set amount per person they employ. Thissystem, known as "community rating," will protectsmall businesses and spread the risk evenly amongall companies.

51


The Federal Budget

7.2DefenseK-6-7.

FederalDebt

Federal Budget1994

Total Income

475 Billion DM

(13.8Economicromotion

53.1

Trans-portationl 28.4

Aid toFamiliesand theElderly

HousinRegiona

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52 BEST COPY AN/AMBLE


German Federal Budget

The Federal Government is required to submit abudget each year to the Bundestag (GermanParliament). The budget sets forth the FederalGovernment's revenue and expenditures. Ideally,revenue and expenditures should be in balance.

The budget committee, which is composed ofmembers of all factions (the composition corre-sponds to the factions' relative strength in Parlia-ment) deliberates on the federal budget each yearand on the relevant supplementary budgets submit-ted by the Federal Government. The budget commit-tee decides who may spend how much for what. Italso has the right to review, and be consulted on, alllaws that involve expenditures.

The budget revenue consists of taxes, levies andother income. Since 1975, revenue has been lessthan planned expenditures; this has resulted innational debt. The debt and interest payments foreach year encumber the budget of the following year.

The accession of eastern Germany to the Federa-tion necessitated enormous expenditures for theeconomic recovery of the new Federal Lander. Thesecosts, along with a weak economy, have resulted inincreasing expenditures and decreasing revenue.

In 1994, a total of 161.1 billion DM was transferredto eastern Germany.

The considerable additional burdens on the federalbudget have led to increases in numerous taxes,especially excise duties (such as value-added tax,mineral-oil tax).

In 1995, the total duties and taxes on averageearners reached a record level of 48%.

As of 1st January 1995, the so-called "solidaritysurcharge", amounting to 7.5% of total tax obliga-tions, has been levied to support the new FederalLander.

Since 1990, the Federal Government's annual bor-rowing to finance the economic recovery in easternGermany has increased by a factor of six. Thenational debt has reached 2 trillion DM.

To reduce its expenditures, Germany is seeking toreduce its contributions to the budget of the Euro-pean Union. In addition, many entitlements are beingreduced for example, in the areas of social andunemployment compensation (such as unemploy-ment benefits).

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The costs of financing German unity are a constantfocus of controversy between the governing andopposition parties.

The 1994 federal budget provided for expenditurestotaling 475 billion DM, broken down as follows:

Labour and social affairs 129.9Interest payments 67.1Transport 53.1Defence 47.2Finance authorities 47.1Family affairs and senior citizens 28.4Pensions 14.0Subsidies for companies 13.8Agriculture 13.1Building and regional planning 10.5Research 9.2Domestic policy 8.3Aid to developing countries 8.2Education, science 6.2Other 18.9

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Social Security

Health insurance

Pension insurance

Nursing care insurance

Unemployment insurance

Accident insurE(nce

k.,

Pension

Nursing care

Unemployment

Accidents sustained 0at workOccupationaldiseases

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Social Security

The social security system rests on five pillars:health insurance, pension insurance, unemploymentinsurance and accident insurance; nursing care insu-rance was added in January 1995.

The social security system is financed throughmonthly contributions (social security contributions)paid during employed persons' active working lives.An employed person's social security contributionscurrently amount to about 40% of his or her grossmonthly income.

An employed person and his or her employer eachpay half of the total monthly contributions due for theemployed person (except for contributions for nurs-ing care insurance).

Social security insurance is compulsory under cer-tain conditions. It is not compulsory for employeeswith higher incomes. The income limit for the assess-ment of contributions a limit known as the "Bei-tragsbemessungsgrenze" is reset each year.

Health insuranceAn important part of the social security system is

health insurance, which pays for health and medicalcare. Health insurance was introduced in Germanyover 100 years ago.

Health insurance contributions are paid into ahealth insurance fund; they currently average about13.5% of a person's gross income. An employedperson and his or her employer each pay half of thetotal monthly health insurance contributions due forthe employed person. An employee's insurance pro-tection also covers his or her spouse (if he or shedoes not work) and any underage children. Unem-ployed persons are automatically covered under thelaw.

Health insurance covers medical and dental treat-ment, prescriptions, hospital treatments, and check-ups. It also covers stays at spas: an insured personcan spend several weeks at a spa in order to recoverfrom an illness or revitalize himself or herself so as notto become ill. Employed persons are permitted onesuch stay every three years.

In case of prolonged illness, an insured employeecontinues to draw salary/wages for six weeks. There-after, he or she receives sick pay from his or herhealth insurance fund, for up to 72 weeks. The

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amount of such sick pay is about the same as that ofthe employee's net pay.

Pension insuranceGermany's pension insurance system is also about

100 years old. Its purpose is to enable working per-sons to maintain an appropriate standard of livingwhen they retire. Some 30% of all funds for socialservices are spent in the pension insurance system(including insurance payments for invalids anddependants of deceased persons).

Old-age pensions are financed through contributionspaid by the gainfully employed. In 1995/96, contribu-tions amount to 18.8%-19.6% of a person's grossmonthly income. Here as well, an employed personand his or her employer each pay half of the totalmonthly contributions due for the employed person.

The contributions do not completely cover thecosts of the system. The state also pays into thesystem an amount that depends on requirements.The Federal Government currently subsidizes about20% of pension payments.

Increasing longevity, lower birth rates and highunemployment are threatening the contribution-based old-age pension system. The number ofemployed persons who are financing the systemthrough their contributions is decreasing, while thenumber of retired people drawing pensions isincreasing. Whereas in 1993 some 100 taxpayersfinanced 45 retired persons, in the year 2030 thesame number of taxpayers will have to finance 96retired persons (according to estimates). Variousconcepts for safeguarding the old-age pensionsystem in the future are being discussed.

People normally begin drawing pensions at age 65.Since 1972, this threshold has been "flexible"; anemployee can apply to begin retirement at age 63and draw somewhat reduced pension payments.Women who have been insured for at least 20 yearscan retire at age 60.

A person's monthly pension is based on theperson's total contributions to the system during thecourse of his or her working life. An employee whohas a high income and thus pays higher contributionswill receive higher pension payments than anemployee whose contributions were lower.

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Social Security Page 2

Monthly pensions are also adjusted to generalincome trends in the economy as a whole. On theaverage, retired people now receive nearly 65% of anemployed person's average net income.

Nursing care insurance

On 1st January 1995, compulsory nursing careinsurance was introduced; its purpose is to cover thefinancial risks of requirements for nursing care in oldage.

Contributions to the nursing care insurance systemamount to 1% of an employed person's grossmonthly income; as of July 1996, this percentageincreased to 1.7%. In most German Lander, thisincrease is being covered through the elimination of astate holiday. In Lander in which no state holiday isbeing eliminated, employed persons must pay theentire amount.

An insured person receives subsidies in case ofneed for example, for home nursing care, for con-version of handicapped persons' residences or forinstitutional nursing care.

Unemployment insurance

Employed persons pay contributions into theunemployment insurance system to guard againstunemployment.

Contributions to unemployment insurance currentlyamount to about 6.5% of a person's gross monthlyincome.

Unemployed persons are eligible for unemploy-ment benefits if they have worked for at least 360days, within the last three years, in employmentrequiring contributions. Unemployed persons withchildren receive 67% of the average net income;unemployed persons with no children receive 60%.

Accident insurance

The accident insurance system has two majorfunctions: it finances preventive health care and itrelieves the financial impact of accidents sustained atwork and of occupational diseases.

All employees automatically receive accident insu-rance from their employers.

Only employers pay contributions to accident insu-rance.

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Lesson 3 Culture and Daily Life in Germany

Lesson Objectives The student will be able to:compare the structure and curriculum of contemporary German educationwith those in the United States.describe characteristics of contemporary German art and culture.discuss the role of the press and the media in German society today.


Activity 1 - Vacation Time in Germany

Activity 2 - Cultural and Recreational Activities in Germany

Worksheet 3.1 "Cultural and Recreational Activity Survey"Transparency 11 "Leisure Time"

Transparency 12 "Culture"Teacher Resource 3.1 "Culture and Leisure Time"

Activity 3 - Newspapers, TV and Radio in Germany

Transparency 13 "The Press"

Transparency 14 "Radio and Television"Teacher Resource 3.2 "The Media"

Activity 4 - The Free German Press (Part I)

Handout 3.1

Handout 3.2

Activity 5 - The Free German Press (Part II)

Handout 3.3Handout 3.4

"Germany Marks 'Crystal Night-"Kohl: Democracy Will Defend Itself AgainstRightwing Extremism"

"Violence Against Foreigners""The New Asylum Agreement"

Activity 6 - The Educational System in Germany

Transparency 15A "The School Schedule"

Activity 7 - Apprenticeships in Germany

Transparency 15B "The School System"

Handdout 3.5 "A Primer on German Schools"

Transparency 16 "Apprentices"

Handout 3.6 "The America 2000 National Education Goals"

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Activities

Activity 1 - Vacation Time in Germany

Since 1952 the number of hours per day that aworker in former West Germany spent on leisure hasrisen from 1 to 4 hours. As in past years the Germansspent more on their vacations in 1995 than anyoneelse in the world. The favorite vacation spots of WestGermans in 1995 were Austria, Italy, and France.Because of previous travel restrictions under Commu-nist rule, citizens of the former East Germany areeager to visit countries to which access had previ-ously been denied to them. Two-thirds of the citizensof the former East Germany in 1990 planned trips toother countries, with West Germany being the mostpopular destination, followed by Austria, France, andScandinavia.

Assign students to groups of three and have themlist the various sites that their families have visited onvacation. Most likely American students will not havetraveled to as many different foreign countries as haveGerman families. Discuss with them how geographicproximity makes it easier for German families to haveexposure to a greater variety of foreign cultures.

Activity 2 - Cultural and Recreational Activities in Germany

Have students conduct a survey of members oftheir class, teachers in the school, and people in thecommunity to obtain a cross-section of citizens anddetermine how much time people spend on variousleisure activities (or how often they attend) in a typicalmonth. Worksheet 3.1 "Cultural and RecreationalActivity Survey" provides a format for tabulating thecollected data. Then, have students compute therelative percentage of Americans who enjoy differentkinds of activities and rank them in importance fromhigh to low. Later, students can refer to Transparen-cies 11 and 12 and Teacher Resource 3.1 about therelative importance of various recreational activities inGermany. What generalizations can be made aboutwhat the two cultures value based on thiscollected data?

Activity 3 - Newspaper, TV and Radio in Germany

Have students bring to class (or provide for them)samples of a daily newspaper in their community.Project Transparency 13 for students to see the frontpage, business, state and local, and sports sectionsof a typical daily newspaper in Germany. Ask stu-

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dents to compare the formats and type of articles inU.S. and German newspapers (use the headlines asguides even though the texts are all in German). Dis-cuss whether the newspapers of each country aremore alike than they are different. Next, have stu-dents refer to Transparency 14 "Radio and Television"and compare the number of combined radio-TV cor-porations represented on the map with the number inthe students' own community. Given the size of Ger-many (roughly equivalent to the state of Montana),students should recognize that Germans haveaccess to a host of media sources. TeacherResource 3.2 provides detailed information regardingthe media in Germany.

Activity 4 - The Free German Press (Part I)

As in the United States, German citizens enjoy theright of freedom of the press. The press is indepen-dent of the state. A wide variety of newspapers andmagazines provide a broad range of information rep-resenting different editorial perspectives. Thus, read-ers must apply critical thinking skills to evaluate howaccurately events are described and interpreted. Toillustrate this point, distribute Handout 3.1 "GermanyMarks 'Crystal Night- from The Atlanta Journal andConstitution. Have students work in groups to iden-tify three or four major points about the AP article"Thousands Rally Against New Racism." Ask stu-dents to describe the picture that accompanies thearticle, first without reading the caption beneath itand then again after reading the caption. Next, askthe groups to read the second article on the samepage entitled "Thrill of Fight Inflames Some YoungRioters." Discuss how the photograph and the articleon young German extremists could easily misrepre-sent to the casual American reader the attitude ofmost Germans toward foreigners, Jews, and othercultures represented in German society. Finally, dis-tribute Handout 3.2 "Kohl: Democracy Will DefendItself Against Rightwing Extremism" from The Week inGermany and ask students to identify the majorpoints and make comparisons with the articles fromthe U.S. newspaper.

Activity 5 - The Free German Press (Part II)

To help students understand that as a democracy,newspapers in Germany hold different points of view

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on the same issues, divide the class into six groupsand continue the discussion of some episodes of vio-lence that have erupted in Germany. Next, distributeHandout 3.3 "Violence Against Foreigners" to thevarious groups and have them identify three reasonsfor the violence against foreigners as identified in thearticles (1. lack of strong leadership from governmentofficials, 2. need for constitutional changes regardingasylum, and 3. the moral obligations of individual citi-zens).

Write the following statement (Article 16, Section 2,from The Basic Law) on the chalkboard: "Personspersecuted on political grounds shall enjoy the rightof asylum." Discuss the need for constitutionalchange as a means of curbing ethnic violence. Asksuch questions as: What are the advantages of con-stitutional change to deal with this challenge? disad-vantages? what other options exist? (e.g. only acceptpolitical refugees from countries recognized by theUnited Nations; limit the length of time a refugee maystay in Germany; limit the appeals process and thenumber of cases going to the Supreme Court). Whatother legislation could be enacted?

Finally, distribute one of the six different excerpts ofGerman newspaper articles (Handout 3.4 "The NewAsylum Agreement") to each of the six groups. Drawa large reproduction of the following Likert scale onthe chalkboard:

Stronglyopposed

Opposed Support StrongSupport

Ask each group to place the number of the news-paper article under the appropriate heading (e.g.strongly opposed or strongly supportive of the newasylum agreement). Then, ask members of eachgroup to explain why their article would fall where itdoes on the scale. Students should come to the con-clusion that the various newspapers in Germany havediffering points of view on the same issue.

Activity 6 - The Educational System in Germany

Cultural traits are determined not only by how apeople use their leisure time and the presence of afree press, but also by their educational system. Havestudents write down their own daily course sched-ules. While projecting Transparency 15A, analyze

56

with students how the typical German schedule dif-fers from those of American students. Point out thatcourses for German students are often staggeredduring the week and that classes are taken on Satur-days (Samstag). Ask students to compare how longthe school day is in Germany as compared to that inmost U.S. schools. Inform the class that German stu-dents engage in recreational sports in the afternoonswhen not completing the large amount of homeworkassigned daily. Ask students which class schedulethey think is more rigorous, the typical Germanschedule or their own.

Activity 7 - Apprenticeships in GermanyProject Transparency 15B "The School System" to

provide a visual display of the organization of theGerman school system. Use Handout 3.5 "A Primeron German Schools" to assist students in analyzingthe options available to German pupils. Next, useTransparency 16 "Apprentices" to further illustrate thevocational options available. Then, have studentsplay the role of advisors to the Governor who is ana-lyzing school systems in other countries to complywith the goals established in "America 2000" (seeHandout 3.6) and implement educational reforms inthe state. Based on the synopsis of the Germansystem, have students make recommendationsabout which elements the governor should borrowfrom Germany to reform the state's public schoolsystem. Students can do this individually or work insmall discussion groups. As part of their recommen-dations, students should defend their proposals,including explanations for procedures or practiceswhich should be adopted and those which should beleft the same in American schools. After discussingthe recommendations the class as a whole caninclude them in a real letter to the state's governor.

5 9


Cultural and Recreational Activity Survey

Directions: Check the leisure time activities in which you regularly participate. For each activity, identify thefrequency of participation.

WATCHING TELEVISION I usually watch . . .

O game shows hours per month)Li movies ( hours per month)Li news hours per month)Li educational programming ( hours per month)Li situation comedies/soap operas ( hours per month)

LISTENING TO MUSIC I usually listen to . . .

Li classical ( hours per month)Li rock/pop ( hours per month)CI country ( hours per month)

READING I usually read . . .

Li newspapers/magazines ( hours per month)LI books hours per month)

ID HOBBIES/CLUBS I usually . . .

Li garden ( hours per month)Li sing in a group/choir ( hours per month)

ATTENDING THEATERS I usually attend . . .

Li ballet/opera ( visits per month)Li plays ( visits per month)ID musicals ( visits per month)O concerts visits per month)

VISITING MUSEUMS I usually visit . . .

Li local history museums visits per month)Li art museums ( visits per month)O cultural museums ( visits per month)Li science museums ( visits per month)IJ historical museums ( visits per month)

SPORTS I usually . . .

O ride my bicycle ( hours per month)CI walk/jog ( hours per month)Li play team sports ( hours per month)

COMMUNITY EDUCATION COURSESO foreign languages ( hours per month)CI music ( hours per month)Li personal fitness/health care ( hours per month)

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Leisure Time

Travelling Reading Watching TV

Reading/learning Movie-/theatergoing Gardening Relaxation

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Culture

Cultural Activities of a Communityover 20,000 Inhabitants

-5q-C Y7/-

sc_\-

Theater

Miscellaneous

Libraries

Continuing Education Schools

Museums

Music Schools

Concerts

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Culture and Leisure Time

TheaterGermany currently has over 150 public theaters.

Some 57,000 performances, on over 460 differentstages, are presented in each theater season.

Some 145 private theaters present some 32,000performances per theater season.

Each year, a total of some 20 million people attendperformances in public theaters. The most populartypes of events are opera, ballet and plays. Annualattendance at private theaters is nearly seven million.

Most theaters are subsidized, i.e. they receivefunding from the state or from cities and communitiesbecause they could not survive on the admission feesthey collect. Since many cities and communities arenow in such a difficult economic position, many sub-sidies have been reduced or even eliminated alto-gether.

There are many different ways to become an artist.One way is to attend a Kunsthochschule, an arts col-lege.Germany's 45 Kunsthochschulen have a total ofsome 30,000 students. They study subjects such aspainting and sculpture, graphic arts and design,music, theater, and film and 7V.

Museums

Germany has a total of some 3,600 museums. Atotal of 300 new museums have been establishedsince 1990. Museums are supported by the FederalGovernment, the Lander, by administrative districts(Kreise), by communities and by clubs and privatepersons.

Most museums are regional heritage museumswith exhibits that present the history of particularregions.

Each year, Germany's museums put on some7,800 exhibitions. The total number of visitors aver-ages 90 million per year. In recent years, museumattendance has been declining.

Music

Germany has over 80 theater orchestras and some44 "pure" orchestras. These orchestras have a totalof some 8,900 professional musicians.

A strong emphasis is placed on musical education.Music is one of the subjects taught at intermediategeneral education schools (Realschule) and at highschools (Gymnasium). Germany has over 1,000

60

music schools; at these schools, some 790,000young people between the ages of 4 and 20 receiveextracurricular music instruction.

The competition "Jugend musiziert" ("young peoplemake music") has been held every year for the past25 years. Each year, over 10,000 young people enterit. The national winners receive special financial sup-port.

Choir singing is very popular in the Federal Repub-lic of Germany. The Deutscher Sangerbund, theGerman national choir association, has over 120,000member choirs, with a total of 1,8 million singers.

Dance

Many German cities have private ballet schools thatoffer instruction for both children and adults. Acade-mies of the arts offer training for people who wish tobecome professional dancers.

Clubs

Clubs are extremely popular. There are clubs foranimal husbandry, gardening, carnival, singing,sports, etc. The last of these categories includesclubs for all the various sports: tennis, soccer, marks-manship, etc.

Over half of the country's population is involved inat least one club. Tax breaks are provided to clubs,within the framework of cultural support.

Movies

German movie theaters had a record year in 1993:the number of admissions grew by 18% over theprevious year, to a total of 125.6 million. Attendancefigures for 1992 had been down. The most popularfilms were American movies.

Many larger cities have been building moviecenters with restaurants, etc. In order to makemoviegoing more popular.

Evening Schools

Almost every city in Germany has evening schools(Volkshochschulen). Most of their students are adults.The most popular subjects are languages, music andthe arts, health care and, computers. Course fees arequite low, because the schools are publicly subsi-dized.

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Radio and Television

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Frankfurt

0SAT.1 Mainz

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Hamburg

Stuttgart

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Munich

Berlin

Potsdam

Leipzig0

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The Media

Press

Germany has a free press. Its press is independentof the state. Germany's citizens have a wide varietyof newspapers and magazines from which to chooseand with which to inform themselves.

A total of some 1,400 newspapers and some8,800 magazines appear in Germany. The totalnumber of titles has been increasing, in spite ofdeclines in circulation.

Concentration (mergers, takeovers, etc.) in themedia sector poses a threat to diversity of opinion.The level of concentration among daily publicationshas steadily increased, and now the ten publishinghouses with the largest circulations have a combinedmarket share of nearly 60%. The press sector isstrongly influenced by the following four large pub-lishing houses: Bauer (Hamburg), Springer (Berlin),Gruner + Jahr (Hamburg) and Burda (Munich).

Most regions now have only one regional news-paper.

The network of interrelationships between mediacompanies continues to grow. National newspaperand magazine publishers have been acquiringgreater and greater interests in local and regional pri-vate broadcasting stations.

Since 1994, many newspapers and newsmaga-zines have been available online. The demand for thisform of delivery is still low, however, due to the rela-tively high fees involved.

Daily newspapers

Three of four Germans read a newspaper everyday. The total circulations of daily newspapers in1993 was about 31 million. Overall, circulations havebeen decreasing.

Fewer than half of the country's newspapers haveseparate editorial staffs for all areas of coverage (poli-tics, business, culture, sports, etc.). The main reasonfor this is the trend toward publication of regional edi-tions of the same paper (i.e. with a common generalsection and separate regional sections).

The largest regional newspapers are:WAZ (Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung)EXPRESS (Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf)HANNOVERSCHE ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNGRHEINISCHE POST (Düsseldorf)

Page 1

LEIPZIGER VOLKSZEITUNGSCHWERINER VOLKSZEITUNG

The leading national newspapers include:BILDSODDEUTSCHE ZEITUNGDIE WELTNEUE ZEITFRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNGFRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU

Nearly one third of all newspapers are published bypublishing houses of the Springer Group.

Regional newspapers tend to have the sameformat. The transparency shows the example of theGENERAL-ANZEIGER, which is published for Bonnand the surrounding area:

The first (usually three) pages report on currentevents in Germany and the world. An editorial com-ments on the most important event of the previousday. A "voices of the press" column contains shortexcerpts from other newspapers, both national andinternational.The local section focuses on events in the city andthe surrounding region; a daily calendar lists eventsof interest for the day.The paper also contains an obituary section (deathnotices).The "feuilleton" section focuses on important culturalevents and the arts, literature, etc. This section con-tains reviews of concerts, plays, new books, etc.A letters to the editor section gives readers anopportunity to comment on reports in previousissues.The business section contains a wide range ofbusiness-related information and articles, includingstock market listings, consumer information, envi-ronmental protection, the price of heating oil, dis-cussions of debt crises, etc.The sports section reports on the most recentevents from the world of sport and announcesupcoming events of interest.A TV/novel page contains the -11/ schedule for theday and the latest installment of a serialized novel.A "panorama" section contains the weather fore-cast and reports on important, and not-so-impor-tant, matters around the world.On certain days, the newspaper contains specialsupplements. For example, on Fridays, it contains

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The Media

a TV/radio magazine for the following week; onSaturdays it has real estate and help wanted/jobwanted (employment) sections.

Magazines

The total of some 8,800 magazines published inGermany includes about 3,700 trade journals, about1,700 general interest publications, including illus-trated magazines and radioTTV schedule magazines,and about 100 political weeklies.

Examples of weekly newspapers include:DIE ZEIT, RHEINISCHER MERKUR.

The radiofTV schedule magazines have the largestcirculations of all magazines and illustrated maga-zines. The most popular ones include:HOR ZU, DAS NEUE BLATT, NEUE POST, BURDA-MODEN.

Weekly magazines have also suffered decreasingcirculation and reduced advertising revenue.

In 1993, DER SPIEGEL, up to that time Germany'sonly newsmagazine, was joined by a competitor:FOCUS, a new publication.

The monthly publication PRO JOB has been inexistence since March 1994. This nationwide maga-zine, which is aimed at unemployed people, hasespecially low advertising rates for people looking forwork.

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Radio and TV

Germany has a so-called "dual broadcastingsystem" that consists of both private and publicbroadcasting networks. As in the press sector mediaconcentration has become a problem in the radioand TV sector. As of 1994, two media groupscontrolled 90% of the private programming onGerman W.

Public networksProgramming offered by Germany's public radio

and TV broadcasting networks is not subject to statecontrol. In 1961, the German Constitutional Court(Supreme Court) ruled that radio and TV must not besubject to the control of either the state or of particu-lar groups. All important groups within the societymust be able to influence programming.

Radio and W broadcasting networks in the FederalRebublic of Germany are so-called "public-law insti-tutions", i.e. they are not private institutions. They areheld publicly responsible to provide a diverse rangeof information and entertainment.

The ARD network comprises nine regionalbroadcasting networks:NDR: Norddeutscher RundfunkSFB: Sender Freies BerlinDW: Deutsche We IleWDR: Westdeutscher RundfunkDLF: Deutschlandfunkhr: Hessischer RundfunkSR: Saarländischer RundfunkSWF: SüdwestfunkBR: Bayerischer Rundfunk

It also includes the following two stations:Radio BremenSüddeutscher Rundfunk

Each broadcasting network has a broadcastingcouncil in which all important groups of the societyare represented. The broadcasting council elects theIntendant, the network director.

Every broadcasting network broadcasts three orfour different channels within its broadcasting area;each channel has a different emphasis.Example: Süddeutscher Rundfunk three channels100 hours of broadcasting break down in the follow-ing way for each channel:

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The Media

1stchannel

2ndchannel

3rdchannel

"Serious" music 1.1 60.6 0"Easy listening" 48.0 2.6 68.0Politics 16.2 10.2 10.1Culture/education 6.3 23.2 1.9Advertising 2.2 0 1.7

All of the ARD public broadcasting networks join inproducing the "1st TV Channel" (erstes Fernsehpro-gramm). Together with the ZDF ("Second GermanTV" Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen), they producethe nationwide morning programming, which is thesame for both channels. ARD and ZDF offer differentafternoon and evening programming.

Competition from private broadcasters is growing.Their ratings (in terms of both viewer numbers andviewing hours) are constantly improving, at theexpense of the public networks. Declining ratings,decreasing revenue and freezes on radio/TV feesthrough 1996 (the fees are collected from viewers)have forced the public broadcasting networks to cutcosts.

The public networks have customarily achievedexcellent ratings for TV series they produced them-selves.

Radio/TV fees are the main source of funding forpublic networks; these fees are collected from usersof radios and -Ns. Currently, the radio/TV feesamount to DM 23,80 per month.

A second, less important source of revenue forpublic broadcasting networks is advertising. Thepublic broadcasting networks carry relatively littleadvertising, and what advertising there is is broad-cast in short blocks. TV programs have no commer-cial breaks. To date, no advertising is permitted onweekdays after 8 p.m. and on Sundays (no advertis-ing all day).

Private networks

The private networks are winning in their competi-tion with the public broadcasting networks. Exam-ples of private networks are RTL, SAT 1, Pro 7 andn-tv.

In 1993, RTL, a private network, was the most-watched network in Germany. This marked the first

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time that a private network had won the ratings com-petition. RTL's 19% market share was larger thanthat of the public networks.

Private networks attract most of their viewing audi-ence with game shows, sitcoms, crime/police showsand erotic films. Their news/informational programstend to be "infotainment", a mixture of informationand entertainment.

With cable and satellite connections, viewers cannow receive a large number of national and interna-tional channels. As of early 1994, some 90 satellitechannels were on the air.

In the radio sector, private networks have gained35% of the market (measured in terms of listeningduration). The number of private radio broadcastershas reached 230. Many of the private radio networksbroadcast almost nothing but music.

In addition to nationwide TV programming, thereare regional TV channels (TV channels broadcastover a regionally limited range) and local radio chan-nels (radio programming devoted to local issues).

Advertising is the only source of revenue for privatenetworks. Unlike public networks, private networksare allowed to carry advertising around the clock.They are also permitted to devote up to 20% of theirdaily broadcasting time to advertising.

Competition among private networks is growing;the numbers of private networks are increasing. Pri-vate networks are seeking to increase their marketshares by presenting their own productions and newprogramming formats.


Germany Marks "Crystal Night"

Bo Manta Wed/ IN Atlanta Constitution WORLD

Germany marks 'Crystal Night'Thousandsrally againstnew racism

Assr,t ro car ss

Be -lin Germans marked the 54thanniversary of the Na/is' "CrystalNight" attacks on Jews with snlemnmemories Monday of destroyed Jewish.communities and warnings about awave of neo-Nazi violence. Nearly100,000 Germans demonstrated acrossthe country.

In Berlin, Mayor Eberhard Diergenhelped lay the cornerstone of the newJewish Museum, intended to draw theworld's attention to today's treatmentof Jews in the city where the Holocaustseas planned

Germans alsn marked the third an.niversary of the Berlin Wall's fall, hutno nne was in much of a mood to celebrate after violence by anarchists Sun-day disrupted a huge rally againstnght.wing extremism.

The euphoria of unification gaveway long ago to worries about the cost ofmerging the country's bankrupt former-ly Communist eastern lands with itslong-prospermis west. The burden hasbeen compounded by the cost of caringfor tens of thousands of foreign asylumseekers, which has bred resentmentamong many Germans and fueled at-tacks on foreigners by rightists.

All over the country, observances ofWnaf Gentians car The "Pagram Ntglirof 1938 were colored by worry aboutthe right-wing violence and new signsof anti-Semitism.

Vandals painted swastikas and slo-gans saying "No to Arabs and Jews" ona monument to 19th century Prussianroyalty in Berlin late Sunday.

The head of the Central Council ofJews in Germany, lgnatz Bubis. said ata ceremony in Bremen/Mt the Wandsof the Holocaust are not yet healed, andhe admonished political leaders tostand up to extreme rightists.

Weak leadership was a prime causeof the Collapse of Germany's post-

Asaecuted

A young demonstrator against Neo-Nazi violence holds up a mockMolotov cocktail Monday during a rally in Frankfurt, Germany.

World War 1 democracy. the WeimarRepublic. Mr. Buhis said.

Nazi thugs attacked synagogues andJewish homes and businesses through.out Germany on Nov.9, 1938, leaving solnuch broken glass that it becameknown as -Crystal Night." It markedthe start of open persecution of Jewsand foreshadowed the Holocaust,which clatmedlhe lives olin minion Eu-ropean Jews and millions of others.

On the same date in 1989, the BerlinWall opened, so Germany marked con-tradictory anniversaries Monday.

To eelehrote the end of the city's Si

vision, Berlin granted its highest awardhonorary citizenship -- to former

U.S. President Ronald Reagan. formerSoviet President Mikhail Gorbachevand German Chancellor Helmut Kohlin recognition of their services in end-ing the Cold War

"The old and new wounds are heal-ing," Mr. Gorbachev said in his accep-tance speech. "The rebirth 01 a unifiedand democratic Berlin is also a symbol,the symbol of a new time, a time ofovercoming not only the division ofGermany. but also of all Europe."

Mr Reagan-did not attend

Thrill of fightinflames someyoung rioters

SSOCIATF07/4F14,-,

erlin They go by various names,such as "the autonomous" of "the :fray.tics." Many Germans simply call themanarchists.

Tough and 'ready to brawl, Germa-ny's violent ultraleftists regularly shockthe establishment, as they did Sunday.

A group of a few hundred extremistsmanaged to steal the show from 330,000demonstrators during a huge antinic-ism rally, showering President Richardvon Weizsacker and other pbliticianswith eggs, tomatoes and paint bombs.

Although thoy espouse -leftist causes,dome leftist noters are less driven by ide-plow than by the shear thrill of a fightwith police. 'They regularly anark sym-bols of German might, including the ofiiCes of We Darrnler.Bent congiomeraieand the Deutsche Bank.

Usually in their early 20s, they dressin black with Palestinian checkeredscarves ready to be used as fate coversor protection against tear gas. They oftenwear ski masks to conceal their identitiesand march under redand-black anarchist banners and black skull-and-cross-bones flags.

Their preferred weapons are sticks.flares. rocks and beer bottles. Althnughtne anarchists are poorly equipped, itcan take highly trained border troopsbacked by water cannon and tear gashours to chsperse them.

Every May Day, the radicals turnBerlin's Kreuzberg district into a battle-field. setting can on fire, smashing win.dows and fighting with police late Intothe night.

Kreuzbelg, where nany anarchistslive, Is the center of Berlin;s countercul-turf, With the fall of the Berlin Wall, theanarchists also have moved into somesections of eastern Berlin and illegallytaken war abandoned Mmes.

66 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

139


Kohl: Democracy Will Defend Itself Against Right:wing Extremism

In a policy statement to the Bundestag on Thurs-day (December 10, 1992) Chancellor Helmut Kohlcalled on democratic forces in Germany to standagainst every form of political violence. "We are wit-nesses to a frightening increase of acts of violence inour country," the chancellor said, "of which the arsonattack in Winn is a particularly distressing example."He stressed, however, that Germany could controlthe violence. "Our free and democratic state is willingand able to fight violence and extremist terror with allthe means at its disposal," he declared. Kohlstressed that "the use of violence must remain ataboo in our society. Whoever breaks it, must feel thefull force of the law ... There is no justification for vio-lence, for anybody," he said. "Those who believe thatour country can be changed by creating a climate ofintimidation, of terror and fear, are mistaken. TheFederal Republic is a democracy that knows how todefend itself and we will prove it."

The chancellor cited data on the increase of crimi-nal offenses, of which, he said, there were nearlythree million in the first half of 1992. Moreover, hesaid, "since the first of January of this year until today,over 2,000 acts of violence with proven or suspectedrightwing motivation have been registered. Themajority of the perpetrators are between twelve andtwenty years old. Seventeen people have been killedin 1992, of whom eight were foreigners. More thanone-third of the criminal offenses were arson attacksor bombings." Additionally, he said, the total numberof militant rightwingers ready to use violence hasbeen estimated at over 6,000.

The head of the Verfassungsschutz, Germany'sdomestic security agency, Eckhart Werthebach, saidrecently that in addition to the militant rightwingers,the rightwing parties in Germany had about 40,000members. Although these parties, which include theRepublikaner, the Deutsche Volksunion (GermanPeople's Union) and the NationaldemokratischePartei Deutsch lands (National Democratic Party ofGermany), may not explicitly advocate violence, theiropen anti-foreigner programs create an atmospherein which an outbreak of violence is, at the least,unsurprising. For this reason, a regional meeting of

67

70

the Republikaner was recently canceled by courtorder.

Germany's history, the chancellor continued, andthe recent National Socialist past in particular, placesa particular obligation upon Germans to prevent vio-lence, to protect the dignity of man and to guaranteehuman rights with all the means of the constitutionalstate. "We feel especial solidarity with all citizens ofthe Jewish faith," he declared. "We owe that to thememory of the victims of National Socialism."

In a reference to public debate in Germany aboutwhether new laws are needed to combat rightwingviolence, or whether stringent application of the exist-ing laws would suffice, the chancellor said that "itwould be a false understanding of liberality if the statewere to be hampered in the persecution of politically-motivated terrorists. A state that cannot ensure jus-tice loses the trust of its citizens. When the security ofits citizens is endangered, their freedom is also atrisk. The existing laws must be forcefully applied andrespect for the law must be created and ensured." Atthe same time, he declared that "where existing lawsdo not suffice, they must be changed."

The chancellor also cited the commission set uprecently to develop ideas for a "security offensive" asproof of the government's willingness to act. Hecalled on the states to "not only consider questions ofjurisdiction, but also to show the utmost in nationaljoint action together with the federal government inthe right against political terrorism." "Those whostand aside or look away only contribute to encour-aging violence," he said.

from: The Week in Germany, December 11, 1992,pp. 1-2.


Violence Against Foreigners

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,(September 15, 1992):

"However, this understanding (on the part of peopleoutside Germany for the situation there) will fade, thelonger German politicians fail to end the chain of vio-lent acts, which is without parallel in western Europe,if one excludes separatist terror. The impression isbecoming stronger abroad that there is a lack ofeffective police action and legal countermeasures,because there is no decisive political leadership. Ashaking of heads can be observed about the fact thatthe still unusually prosperous Germans, in a Euro-pean comparison, are still squawking because of the'costs of unification,' that is to say, quarreling aboutinvestments in the future, without noticing that bur-dens from the past are threatening to grow beyondtheir control."

SOddeutsche Zeitung, Munich,(September 16, 1992):

"With the policy change of the SPD leadershipregarding asylum matters, a hope might have arisen,namely the end of the disastrous party quarrels. But itis already fading before the policy change has beencompleted. The Social Democrats will struggle withArticle 16 of the constitution during their special partyconference; however, the Union parties are alreadyconcentrating on Article 19, on the abolition of thelegal protection for refugees. The heavy-handedquarrel is being continued under a new guise: in thefuture, the Geneva refugee convention is to be usedas a standard. What this means ... will be contestedas much the meaning of article 16 has been untilnow. If the fundamental right to asylum is reduced toa simple asylum right, then the second step in thequarrel will center on whether the simple asylum rightmust become a mere granting of asylum. If that is theway it turns out, then God help Germany! In a time ofindividual and organized manhunts, only those whocome out most strongly for those who are threat-ened, and against the manhunters have the right tochange laws. Any law and order begins with thedefense of life and limb. This means: the CSU shouldtake up the suggestion from the president of theNational Association of Chambers of Commerce andassume sponsorship for refugee homes. And HelmutKohl and Björn Engholm (SPD) should call together

68

their regional organizations and put themselves at thehead of a mass demonstration against the violence.Without such manifestations of basic common con-victions, any changes in the law are immoral anddangerous."

NOrnberger Nachrichten,(September 15, 1992):

"(The violence in Germany) long ago ceased to beabout an amendment to or change of the relevantarticle in the Basic Law, and it's not even primarilyabout how many refugees and resettlers a societycan absorb. What's really at stake are the basicvalues on which the Federal Republic is oriented. Notone night has passed since the riots in Rostock inwhich refugees were not attacked and often inade-quately protected. The fact that most of these inci-dents took place in eastern Germany is no reason forleniency. Since October 3, 1990, the Basic Law hasapplied to the area of the former German DemocraticRepublic as well. It opens perhaps we must refreshour memories? with the words 'The dignity of manshall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall bethe duty of all state authority.' Death threats againstforeigners and Molotov cocktails thrown at asylum-seeker shelters are not 'riots,' as they are oftenminimizingly termed. They are attacks on the consti-tution."

from: The Week in Germany, September 18, 1992,p. 3.

71


The New Asylum Agreement

Article 1

Süddeutsche Zeitung (December 8, 1992):"A compromise has been made. It was yearned for

because the damage from the twenty-year-longdebate on asylum had already assumed democracy-endangering proportions, because the politicalatmosphere was and is unbearably poisoned. Never-theless, the price for the end of the debate is toohigh. The state is secretly weaseling out of the guar-antee of a constitutional procedure. It is abusing theright to asylum in its own way, by allowing it toremain, but only as a dummy. The complete elimina-tion of the basic right to asylum would be morehonest. Whether the new Article 16a of the BasicLaw is unconstitutional will be up to the highest court,in Karlsruhe. In any case, this is a dishonest constitu-tional right; the compromise appears to preservea basic right at its core. But it does exactly theopposite: it keeps the shell and destroys theessence."

from: The Week in Germany, December 11, 1992,P. 3.

Article 2

Frankfurter Rundschau (December 8, 1992):"There it lies, the basic right to protection from

political persecution, undermined and shatteredin 50 hours of haggling among the ChristianDemocrats, the Christian Social Union, the FreeDemocrats and the Social Democrats. If the so-called compromise becomes law, Article 16 of theconstitution will lose its substance. The desire forasylum, even if only for a short time, must be takenunder consideration. That's what the Basic Lawstates now. In future, the constitution is to barnearly all those who flee to us from a hearing andfrom the possible right to remain in the country.'Persons persecuted on political grounds shallenjoy the right of asylum but not in Germany.'If the great Bonn asylum coalition were honest andcourageous, they would have suggested thatformulation for a new Article 16. The change theyseek to the Basic Law means that refugees whocome into the Federal Republic by law (and they aremore than 90 percent) have practically no chancefor a hearing. Because the established parties willraise all European Community member nations

69

Page 1

and all Germany's neighboring nations to thestatus of secure third countries in short order."

from: The Week in Germany, September 18, 1992,P. 3.

Article 3General-Anzeiger (Bonn, December 8, 1992):

"The goal of preserving the individual right toasylum will not be reached. At least this much iscorrect: this basic right will remain in the constitution.However, hardly anyone will actually be able to exer-cise it. The trick that the CDU/CSU proposed and theSPD and the F. D.P. thought they had to accept iseasy: the Federal Republic will be surrounded by awreath of countries that are declared as secure 'thirdcountries.' Whoever comes from these countries nolonger has a chance of an asylum hearing. This wayof shuffling off the problem may still be permissiblewith other countries in the European Community(after all, everyone talks about European harmoniza-tion of asylum laws), but in dealings with Poland, theCzech and Slovak Republics, Austria and Switzer-land, it's asking too much."


Article 4

die tageszeitung (Berlin, December 8, 1992):"If ever a compromise earned the adjective rotten,

this is it. The internal sign is: we're showing how touse the constitution to create false labels and arethereby laying the groundwork for the often-called-forconstitutional patriotism. In foreign policy terms, theenlarged Germany once again shows little sensitivityto its neighbors. After the costs of unification wereshunted off on the rest of Europe through high inter-est rates, now the poor eastern European countrieson the periphery of the EC are to serve as collectioncenters for the ever poorer and politically perse-cuted... But perhaps the SPD leadership miscalcu-lated with this merciless policy of solidarity with thevoters. In any case, on the same evening that theestablished politicians saved the Basic Law in theirown way, in the center of Bavaria, despite (BavarianPrime Minister Max) Streibl, (Federal Finance MinisterTheo) Waigel, and (Bavarian Minister for Land Devel-opment and Environment) Gauweiler, 300,000

7 2


The New Asylum Agreement Page 2

people made it clear (at a demonstration in Munich)that they want something other than refugee-freeshopping during extended shopping hours on Satur-day."


Article 5Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung (December 8,1992):

"Only quiet voices and cautious appraisals arereally adequate for the remarkable compromisewhich has finally been reached on amending the rightto asylum in the Basic Law. In mutual responsibility,the governing parties and the Social Democraticopposition fulfilled a difficult and unpleasant duty.The way that they did so was not commendable in allits phases. Even if the agreements were necessaryearlier, they will now lead to a sustained alleviation ofthe problem. New borders were drawn betweenprotection for the politically persecuted and the gen-eral immigration problem that cannot be solved withArticle 16. The limitations promise to work in practice;in all probability, there will be palpable relief by mid-1993."


Article 6

Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung (Heidelberg, December 8,1992):

"What has now become possible under incredibledomestic political pressure must not be talked todeath again. Whether this agreement will hold up thedikes that let through political refugees but keep backso-called economic refugees, nobody knows. Itrather looks as if the flood of suffering people fromeastern to western Europe will swell. Bonn onlydiminished the incentive to see Germany as the onlydoor to knock at."


70 73

L3 Activity 6 Transparency 15A

The School Schedule

Archiepiscopalschool-

NumberNumberNumber

Religion

GermanSocial

English

Latin

French

Required(differentiation__French_(5

grammarfor girls in Bonn-Beuel

officially certified -

Grade

of periods missedunexcused

Report card

... goodsciences

good... good

excellent

satisfactory

IST. ADELHEID-GYMNASIUM

Fablechar

w 113.....Laa_no.-4....._,Toos...._

Balea 0..... lar 1.400chan

Bonn-Beuei

1ZEUGNIS I School year

MathematicsNatural

PhysicsChemistry

kr.. .9 C. a.nuOnr 01.4,21e A. weewof times tardy VI* DAM: davon unent.c11.11g1 INN..

good

satisfactoryStudies

History satisfactoryGeography .. satisfactoryPolitics

satisfactorysatisfactory

electives IIsubjects)hours, ')_good_

( hours )

1.BISTUNBEN:

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Zatclicho UnIentIttwenumbnurgpec-') AF = continuation course,') EF = introductory course

Poor grades can endangerpromotion.

Remarks: English partly better,physics slightly better.

Decision of the teacher/principalference: she is promoted to

not promoted

Bonn-Beuel, 19

a pupil's

...-

con-grade 10 /

Class director

Parent-teacher conference

Grades pursuant to §26, Para.1General School Regulations(ASch0): pupil's grades are basedon the following categories:excellent (1); good (2):satisfactory (3); acceptable (4);poor (5); failure (6)

...-

swiwiwww ___Irweaefi_LLT...._cee...24,,_:Pilku:k_tr.L..tek. 0.4_-__

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Guardian's signature

Harald Muller Time-table Grade 9c

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday7.45 8.30 History Latin English History Mathematics

8.35 9.20 German German Latin Mathematics English French

9.25 10.10 English Latin Physics German French Physics

10.30 11.15 Mathematics Mathematics Arts/Crafts German Biology Chemistry

11.20 12.05 French Geography Arts/Crafts Chemistry Religion Music

12.10 12.55 Religion English German French

15.00 16.30 Sports

71 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

74

L3 Activity 7 Transparency 15B

The School System

School AgeYear

1312 (17Y)

1 1 (16Y)

10 (15Y)

(18Y)

Gesamtsc e / Co hensive school

_-/Gymnasi rammar school (similar to high schoolin school years 9-13)

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y generalschool

Grundschule /

72

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A Primer on German Schools

Choosing a Track

In Germany compulsory public education begins atage 6 and continues for nine to 12 years with thepossibility of an additional three years of vocationalschooling. After Grundschule (elementary school,grades one through four), students choose one ofthree options:

Hauptschule, a middle school, grades 5-9,with the probability of continuing study at avocational school for three years beyond theninth grade.Realschule, middle/secondary school, grades5-10, where students prepare for mid-level,non-professional careers.Gymnasium, middle/secondary school, grades5-13, where the focus is on preparing for highereducationComprehensive School, grades 5-13, whichincludes Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium.

Vocational Schools

The six types of post-middle/secondary vocationalschools in Germany are:

Berufsschule part-time, for students taking initialvocational training and those who go to work afterHauptschule and are required to complete addi-tional schooling.Berufsfachschule full-time, for students who havegraduated from Hauptschule or Realschule.Berufsaufbauschule full-time, mid-level, for thosewho want to broaden their general and vocationaltraining after compulsory vocational training.Fachoberschule part-time, advanced-level, forstudents in 11th and 12th grades who have com-pleted Realschule and want more theoretical andpractical education in fields such as engineering,business administration, home economics, socialwork, design, navigation. A diploma from Fach-oberschule allows a student to enter Fachhoch-schule (technical college).Berufliches Gymnasium full-time, advanced-level,a Gymnasium with vocational emphasis, courses ineconomics and technical sciences. With a diplomafrom here a student can continue at an institution ofhigher education.

1E0

Page 1

Fachschule full-time, advanced-level, offeringadvanced vocational as well as general educationfor students who will be mid-level managers in theworkplace. Most students here have worked forseveral years in their field of specialization.In Germany, attending college or university is not

the usual course for all students. In fact, about one-third of all students leaving school in any given yearwill do so. Approximately two-thirds will enter voca-tional training within the traditional dual system: acombination of hands-on, practical experience andtheoretical instruction in the skill of their choice.Transparency 12 demonstrates this two-sidedapproach to training.

The opportunities for vocational training in Ger-many are great. Possibilities exist in almost every firmand company, big or small; public vocational trainingschools are within the geographic reach of everypotential trainee in the country. At present, there areopportunities for training in the country. Currently,there are opportunities for training in over 380 differ-ent skills and trades.

The vocational training system is supported by thegovernment and supervised by local chambers ofcommerce and industry. Apprentices are paid a sub-stantial wage, the exact amount of which variesaccording to the skill in question and increases in thecourse of the training.

In 1993 in West Germany 568,700 apprenticeshipopportunities were offered. In East Germany 84,000opportunities. In the United States, a nation with apopulation three times the size of Germany's, thereare just 300,000. Experts and business leaders agreethat this system of vocational training contributes inno small way to Germany's economic strength andsuccess in the world market. Daimler-Benz offers atotal of 17,000 training positions in 80 skills within itsdifferent subsidiary companies (Mercedes-Benz,AEG, Deutsche Aerospace and InterServices). AtDaimler-Benz, most apprentices train for automotiveand industrial mechanics, airplane constructionmechanics and electronic communications special-ities, and during the 3-4 years' training, the youngmen and women are paid on average $700 permonth.

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A Primer on German Schools

Higher Education

German institutions of higher education includedegree-granting universities and technical collegesfor study in the arts and sciences and professions;teacher colleges; music academies; art academies;general colleges and special discipline colleges.

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Page 2


Apprentices

ApprenticesApprenticeship Period

(3 years)

Practical (on-the-job) Training

Business/ Training Workshop

Theoretical Training

Vocational School(8-10 hours per week)

Certified Full-Time Worker

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The America 2000 National Education Goals

By the year 2000:1. All children in American will start school ready to

learn.2. The high school graduation rate will increase to at

least 90 percent.3. American students will leave grades four, eight,

and twelve having demonstrated competency inchallenging subject matter including English,mathematics, science, history, and geography;and every school in America will ensure that allstudents learn to use their minds well, so they maybe prepared for responsible citizenship, furtherlearning, and productive employment in ourmodern economy.

4. U.S. students will be first in the world in scienceand mathematics achievement.

5. Every adult American will be literate and willpossess the knowledge and skills necessary tocompete in a global economy and exercise therights and responsibilities of citizenship.

6. Every school in America will be free of drugs andviolence and will offer a disciplined environmentconducive to learning.

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Income and Expenditures of Private Households Transparency

Average Monthly Income(Example II Family)

Gross - 6,246 DMTaxes - 514 DM

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The Most Important German Political Institutions Transparency 5A

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The Federal Budget Transparency 9

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10.2%Theater

Miscellaneous

8% Libraries

Continuing Education Schools

Museums

Music Schools BEST COPY AVAIIABLE

Concerts

4.8%

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Radio and Television Transparency 14

The School Schedule Transparency 15A

Archiepiscopal grammarI

. school for Orls in Bonn-Beuelofficially certified -

Grade

Number of periods missed

ST. ADELHEID-GYMNASIUMErybischanknas Gymnasium kir WW1.

Bonn-Beuel- stastlich anarkaard -

Report cardZEUGNIS

Mr 2Nia....SSIL--AXIm.--gaa.52201MS- School yearNumber unexcused Klassa. Sc. edualiam 1.9.st4/A1 2, wow.'.N..Number of times tardy

Religion goodGerman satisfactorySocial Studies

History satisfactory

Versaurtas 811.raNn: -...../._ Osman unarm...1MM _-____Z_ Surly:sm.

LEI6TuaGEsi:- Mathematics good1.1110onskaura .- Mathernatik -.,---.-, ....

1111111ONVIMIUCI1011.

' -,-=, .--..---=Natural sciencesDoutsch

Physics goodGormlas~alehre PhysA

7.:"

ChemiStry goodamwmau. ----- i. .-0 Chan*.Geography satisfactory--7.. -,..,a= Biology....

PoliticsEnglish satisfactoryLatin satisfactoryFrench

Required electives II

.7-litikirellrl-.. .,-= 1110001. .-..---- . .:.-frOlumde

----7.1:-.--.7:Pala . - ---.--------.--- =.; SAuslk -...,. Music excellentArts/CraftsKW*

laaanison ,-, ...: ..,... .-," ri,,--m----. fiMat -.7-_--7 :'''' Sports satisfactoryiyansasason '--. e -.1F-.----=--------_----(...__

(differentiation subjects)_French (5 hours, l_good_

( hours, 1

wommaammkr, 1 coommo....ormrwzm:"r,..-,1:241.1.. i-aumse. 111 P=-( _

-. i - -waft, _iI sao..........Nkohl sonalcAondo Loloturoaso kOnnon clo Oorollosno olOORnOon.

AF1 = continuation course,1 EF = introductory course

boateaho UrimIchtoonnolltungon:.. Class director

Poor grades can endanger a pupil'spromotion.

Additional classes:

Remarks: English partly better,physics slightly better.

..ri 44.... Arle_id........0,Banolosnoon: __44.3e1L.,

Parent-teacher conferenceI Elisaahlua dor POmmumaanlerans: KM. Me r. i 0 .. vormart/ nicht oorootO

. %Bonn .- HatDecision of the teacher/principal con-

ference: she is promoted to grade 10 /, ..

a.A'

Grades pursuant to §26, Para.1General School Regulations

le.14.(a..a....- (ASch0): are basednot promoted

Bonn-Beuel, 19

Pdncipal

_____40.--46_ pupil's gradesI .l;Tir.

moms ., on the following categories:(Soonoroottoo excellent (1); (2);good.., ..., __,____

WholorboginnOw GNOMON am -dal .1 i ... _II un, .. ._ .. _ ea .4.-- too satisfactory (3); acceptable (4);poor (5); failure (6)

-"--- - ------""Report card shown to: * ."-Lr'.4-V:314:4%.--J.----t-.. =. .1". --==:-..----7.---

Guardian's signature ...ow. m N ,................ va me Am. ..............

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The School System Transparency 15B

School AgeYear

Gesamtsc hensive school

rammar school (similar to high schoolin school years 9-13)

Middle (Secondary) school

y generalschool

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

9 di

Apprentices Transparency 1(

ApprenticesApprenticeship Period

(3 years)ri.=i6..1Practical (on-the-job) Training Theoretical Training

Businessffraining Workshop

-.-

Vocational School(8-10 hours per week)

Certified Full-Time Workertfi

D

u

U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)

National Library of Education (NLE)Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

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EDRS. (Toll Free) - ERIC · 2014-06-02 · DOCUMENT RESUME. ED 426 045 SO 029 488. AUTHOR Blankenship, Glen; Tinkler, D. William TITLE Cultural Reflections: Work, Politics, and Daily