Block 3

Questions 61 to 90

Question 61
What does "popular sovereignty" mean?
  1. The king/queen rules over the people.
  2. The Federal Constitutional Court is above the constitution.
  3. The interest groups exercise sovereignty together with the government.
  4. The power of the state emanates from the people.
Question 62
When the parliament of a German federal state is elected, it is called ...
  1. Local elections.
  2. State election.
  3. European elections.
  4. Bundestag election.
Question 63
What is not part of the executive branch in Germany?
  1. the police
  2. the courts
  3. the tax office
  4. the ministries
Question 64
Today, the Federal Republic of Germany is divided into ...
  1. four occupation zones.
  2. an eastern state and a western state.
  3. 16 cantons.
  4. Federal, state and local authorities.
Question 65
It is not one of the tasks of the German Bundestag to ...
  1. to draft laws.
  2. control the federal government.
  3. to elect the Federal Chancellor.
  4. to form the Federal Cabinet.
Why is this answer correct?

The Bundestag elects the Chancellor and oversees the government, but does NOT form the Federal Cabinet. The cabinet (ministers) is appointed by the Federal President on the Chancellor's proposal. Bundestag tasks: legislation, the federal budget, government oversight.

Question 66
Who wrote the lyrics to the German national anthem?
  1. Friedrich von Schiller
  2. Clemens Brentano
  3. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
  4. Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben
Question 67
What is the main task of the federal states in Germany?
  1. Defense policy
  2. Foreign policy
  3. Economic policy
  4. School policy
Question 68
Why does the state control the school system in Germany?
  1. because there are only state schools in Germany
  2. because all pupils must have a school-leaving certificate
  3. because there are different schools in the federal states
  4. because according to the Basic Law it is its task
Question 69
The Federal Republic of Germany has a three-tier administrative structure. What is the name of the lowest political level?
  1. Councillors
  2. District councils
  3. Municipalities
  4. District offices
Question 70
The German Federal President Gustav Heinemann gives Helmut Schmidt the certificate of appointment as German Federal Chancellor in 1974. What are the duties of the German Federal President?
  1. He/she conducts government business.
  2. He/she controls the ruling party.
  3. He/she selects the ministers.
  4. He/she proposes the Chancellor for election.
Question 71
Where does the German Chancellor spend the most time? He/she is most often ...
  1. in Bonn, because the Federal Chancellery and the Bundestag are located there.
  2. in Berlin because the Federal Chancellery and the Bundestag are located there.
  3. at Schloss Meseberg, the guest house of the Federal Government, to receive state guests.
  4. at Schloss Bellevue, the official residence of the Federal President, to receive state guests.
Question 72
What is the name of the current Chancellor of Germany?
  1. Gerhard Schröder
  2. Angela Merkel
  3. Franziska Giffey
  4. Olaf Scholz
Question 73
The two largest parliamentary groups in the German Bundestag are currently ...
  1. CDU/CSU and SPD.
  2. Die Linke and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen.
  3. FDP and SPD.
  4. The Left and FDP.
Question 74
What is the name of the parliament for the whole of Germany?
  1. Federal Assembly
  2. People's Chamber
  3. Bundestag
  4. Federal Court of Justice
Question 75
What is the name of Germany's current head of state?
  1. Frank-Walter Steinmeier
  2. Bärbel Bas
  3. Bodo Ramelow
  4. Joachim Gauck
Why is this answer correct?

Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been German Federal President since March 2017. He was re-elected in 2022 for a second and final five-year term. The Federal President is head of state — primarily a representative role; political power lies with the Federal Chancellor.

Question 76
What does the abbreviation CDU mean in Germany?
  1. Christian German Union
  2. Club of German Entrepreneurs
  3. Christian German Environmental Protection
  4. Christian Democratic Union
Question 77
What is the Bundeswehr?
  1. the German police
  2. a German port
  3. a German citizens' initiative
  4. the German army
Question 78
What does the abbreviation SPD mean?
  1. Socialist Party of Germany
  2. Social Policy Party of Germany
  3. Social Democratic Party of Germany
  4. Social Justice Party of Germany
Question 79
What does the abbreviation FDP mean in Germany?
  1. Peaceful Demonstrative Party
  2. Free Germany Party
  3. Leading Democratic Party
  4. Free Democratic Party
Question 80
Which court in Germany is responsible for interpreting the Basic Law?
  1. Higher Regional Court
  2. Local court
  3. Federal Constitutional Court
  4. Administrative court
Why is this answer correct?

The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe is Germany's supreme court for constitutional questions. It reviews whether laws and state actions are compatible with the Basic Law, and can declare them invalid. It is NOT responsible for interpreting ordinary laws.

Question 81
Who elects the Federal Chancellor in Germany?
  1. the Federal Council
  2. the Federal Assembly
  3. the people
  4. the Bundestag
Question 82
Who heads the German Federal Cabinet?
  1. the President of the Bundestag
  2. the Federal President
  3. the Federal Chancellor
  4. the President of the Federal Council
Question 83
Who elects the German Chancellor?
  1. the people
  2. the Federal Assembly
  3. the Bundestag
  4. the Federal Government
Question 84
What is the main task of the German Federal President? He / she ...
  1. rules the country.
  2. drafts the laws.
  3. represents the country.
  4. monitors compliance with the law.
Question 85
Who makes up the German Federal Council?
  1. the members of the Bundestag
  2. the Ministers of the Federal Government
  3. the government representatives of the federal states
  4. the party members
Question 86
Who elects the Federal President in Germany?
  1. the Federal Assembly
  2. the Federal Council
  3. the Federal Parliament
  4. the Federal Constitutional Court
Question 87
Who is the head of state of the Federal Republic of Germany?
  1. the Federal Chancellor
  2. the Federal President
  3. the President of the Federal Council
  4. the President of the Bundestag
Question 88
The parliamentary opposition in the German Bundestag ...
  1. controls the government.
  2. decides who becomes Federal Minister.
  3. determines who sits on the Federal Council.
  4. proposes the heads of government of the federal states.
Question 89
What do you call the association of members of a party in parliament in Germany?
  1. Association
  2. Council of Elders
  3. Faction
  4. Opposition
Question 90
The German federal states participate in federal legislation by ...
  1. the Federal Council.
  2. the Federal Assembly.
  3. the Bundestag.
  4. the federal government.
Why is this answer correct?

The 16 federal states participate in federal lawmaking through the Bundesrat. For laws affecting state interests, its consent is required. The Bundesrat consists of 69 members delegated by the state governments — not directly elected.