ars of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Roman HERZOG (since 1 July 1994)
head of government: Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (since 27 October
1998)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the proposal of the
chancellor
elections: president elected for a five-year term by a Federal
Convention including all members of the Federal Assembly and an
equal number of delegates elected by the Land Parliaments; election
last held 23 May 1994 (next to be held 23 May 1999); chancellor
elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a
four-year term; election last held 27 September 1998 (next to be
held in the fall of 2002)
election results: Roman HERZOG elected president; percent of Federal
Convention vote--52.6%; Gerhard SCHROEDER elected chancellor; percent
of Federal Assembly--52.8%

Legislative branch: bicameral chamber (no official name for the
two chambers as a whole) consists of the Federal Assembly or
Bundestag (656 seats usually, but 669 for the 1998 term; elected by
popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional
representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or three
direct mandates to gain representation; members serve four-year
terms) and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 votes; state
governments are directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes
depending on population and are required to vote as a block)
elections: Federal Assembly--last held 27 September 1998 (next to be
held by the fall of 2002); note--there are no elections for the
Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the
state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the
potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election
election results: Federal Assembly--percent of vote by party--SPD
40.9%, Alliance 90/Greens 6.7%, CDU/CSU 35.1%, FDP 6.2%, PDS 5.1%;
seats by party--SPD 298, Alliance 90/Greens 47, CDU/CSU 245, FDP 43,
PDS 36; Federal Council--current composition--votes by party--SPD-led
states 45, CDU-led states 24

Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court or
Bundesverfassungsgericht, half the judges are elected by the
Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Union or CDU

Political pressure groups and leaders: employers' organizations,
expellee, refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups

Internat