Seven contributions combine an analysis of the structural foundations of executive leadership in Germany with a study of the six postwar Chancellors. They explain variations in performance between Chancellors who dominated and shaped the political landscape of the Federal Republic and those who merely trod across it, exploring the paradoxes of the office, and defining the scope of Chancellor leadership--its limits and its appropriateness for post-unification Germany. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In the unification year of 1990, Helmut Kohl's stature appeared to invite comparison with Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic. This book examines the evolution of the modern German chancellorship against the background of social and political change.

In this volume, Helmut Kohl's leadership and legacy are assessed, and contributors analyse the chancellor's goals and governing style, including his part in promoting European integration; and his domestic political role vis a vis his own party, its main opponents and the public.

Economic and monetary union in the European Union represents a massive change for Europe and for the world. The Road to Maastricht identifies why the agreement was possible and how the agreement was made. The book examines the motives that inspired European political leaders, the strategies that they pursued, and the institutions that were used to achieve monetary union. Drawing on a wide range of sources and unprecedented research and interviews, the book combines careful political analysis with new information about the way in which European Monetary Union was negotiated. It delves into the complex forces at work in Europe, including the cross-national political interactions, to produce an authoritative account of the boldest and riskiest venture in the history of European integration.

During his political career, Helmut Kohl used his own life story to promote a normalization of German nationalism and to overcome the stigma of the Nazi period. In the context of the cold war and the memory of the fascist past, he was able to exploit the combination of his religious, generational, regional, and educational (he has a PhD in History) experiences by connecting nationalist ideas to particular biographical narratives. Kohl presented himself as the embodiment of “normality”: a de-radicalized German nationalism which was intended to eclipse any anti-Western and post-national peculiarities. This book takes a biographical approach to the study of nationalism by examining its manifestation in Helmut Kohl and the way he historicized Germany’s past.

The textbook introduces the self-understanding, institutional structure and practice of the political system of the Federal Republic of Germany. The work provides a problem-oriented overview of the basic constitutional and foreign policy decisions that have constituted German democracy; the political field of forces formed by interest groups, citizens' initiatives, parties and mass media; the political institutions at the federal, state and local levels; the social reach and administrative enforcement of political decisions; the political culture including the structure of the political ruling class. The new edition also addresses, among other things, the consequences of the Corona crisis for the political system, the changing party system and the crisis of the EU after the 2021 federal election.