Decentralising Policy Responsibility and Political Authority in Germany

Description

​This book provides an account of the reforms undertaken in German federalism throughout the 2000’s. It explores the consequences of the historic changes made to the German federal order through detailed analysis of a set of unique case study areas. It also evaluates the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic on German federalism, and the relationship between party politics and federalism in Germany. The authors investigate what happens when policy responsibility is decentralized. The reforms undertaken in Germany fundamentally altered the roles played by the federal and state-level governments in several policy fields, and the question as to what kind of impact this has for policy itself is a global one. In a world that sees an increasing trend towards the decentralization of political authority, this book offers insights and lessons that have a practical application on a global scale. It will find the interest of students and scholars in countries worldwide which are grappling with the nature of policy responsibility across levels of political authority.  Preface Contents About the Authors Abbreviations List of Tables 1 Decentralising Policy Responsibility and Political Authority in Germany: Introduction 1 Introduction: Why Study Decentralisation in Federal Systems? 2 Why Study Decentralisation in Germany? The Story of Competence Reallocation 3 Understanding the Impact of Decentralisation on Policy Outputs in Federal Systems 4 Possible Impacts of Decentralisation 5 Federal Reform in Germany in the 2000s: The Context of Our Study 6 Federalism Reform I—2006 Federalism Reform I—What Was Changed? 7 Federalism Reform II—2009 Federalism Reform II—What Was Changed? 8 Reform of the Fiscal Equalisation Scheme Fiscal Equalisation—What Was Changed? 9 Structure of This Book 10 Conclusion: Understanding Federal Reform References 2 Higher Education Policy 1 Introduction 2 The Changing Nature of Higher Education Policy in Germany Prior to Federal Reform in 2006 3 Legislation on Higher Education: The Gradual Shift The Reform Dynamic Within Germany Prior to 2006: Towards a Rebalancing of Competences Pre-2006 Changes at the University Level: Fostering Competitiveness Through Autonomy The Rise and Fall of Tuition Fees: The Role of Federalism 4 Higher Education Governance and the Federal Reform Debate Party Political Views on Proposed Changes 5 The 2006 Federal Reforms in the Area of Higher Education Governance Evaluation and Discussion 6 The Impact of the 2006 Federal Reforms to Higher Education Governance The New Legislative Landscape Explaining Partisan Variation Controversies in Developing New Modes of State-University Governance: The Case of North Rhine Westphalia The New Financial Landscape of Higher Education Human Resources at Universities Following the Federal Reforms 7 The Continuing Reform Dynamic Since the 2006 Federal Reforms: Subsequent Changes to Higher Education Governance in Germany The Hochschulpakt (University Pact) 2020 The Excellence Initiative Redrafting Article 91b and Lifting the Ban on Cooperation The Embedding of the Bologna Process in German Higher Education 8 Conclusion References 3 Care Homes Policy 1 Introduction 2 The Shifting Framework of Responsibility for Care Homes in Germany Amendments Made to the Law on Care Homes in the 2006 Federal Reforms 3 The Implications of Decentralisation; Understanding Variation in Care Homes Laws Since 2016 The Scope and Reach of the New Länder Laws on Care Homes Room Requirements Involvement and Strengthening the Autonomy of Residents Inspection Regimes Qualifications of Staff 4 Discussion and Conclusions References 4 Prisons and Justice Policy 1 Introduction 2 Reconfiguring Responsibility for Prisons and Justice Policy in Germany Reforms in Detail The Specific Reforms Concluded Responses to the 2006 Reform decision—a Downward Spiral, and a Farce? 3 Developing and Implementing the New Legislation on Prisons Youth justice Aims of punishment Entitlement to Single Cells Open and Closed Prisons Accommodation in Living Groups (Wohngruppen) Access to Therapy Youth Justice—conclusions Adult prisons Aims of Punishment Open and Closed Prisons Early Release for Those Serving Life Sentences Duty to Work Participation Adult Prisons—conclusions Pre-trial detention Preventative detention Analysing the Implications of Decentralisation in Prisons and Justice Policy Variations in the Implementation of Prisons Policy in the Länder Post-2006 Towards a New German Justice Policy: National Laws, Regional Variation? Conclusion References 5 Reform of Public Service Regulation 1 Introduction 2 Understanding Beamte Status in German Public Life 3 The Shifting Legal Framework Governing Beamte Ahead of the Federal Reforms 4 Reform Proposals in and Around the Federalism Commission 5 Federal Reform in the Area of Public Service Law 6 Evaluating the Impact of the Federal Reforms Levels of Pay Since the 2006 Reforms Career “Tourism” Career Structures and the Systems of Service Classes Since the 2006 Reforms 7 Evaluation and Discussion 8 Conclusions References 6 The Changing Face of German Parties in the Federal System 1 Political Parties in the German Federal System 2 Regional Distinctiveness in German Political Parties The CSU The CDU The SPD Alliance 90/The Greens The FDP The Left Party (Die Linke) The Alternative for Germany (AfD) Other Parties 3 Coalition Politics 4 Voting Behaviour in Land Elections 5 The Land Level in Party Organisations and Cabinet Recruitment 6 Operation of the Bundesrat 7 Conclusion References 7 Germany and the COVID-19 Pandemic 1 Introduction 2 Pandemic Management in German Federalism 3 The First Phase of the Pandemic (February to December 2020): Federalism Working Well? 4 The Second Phase of the Pandemic: January 2021–July 2021: Recentralisation? 5 Restrictions in a Time of Rising Vaccination Rates: July 2021–March 2022 6 The Pandemic, Public Opinion, and the Nature of German Federalism 7 Lessons of the Pandemic for German Federalism References 8 Conclusions 1 Decentralisation and the Reform of German Federalism 2 Our Empirical Findings: Policy-Specific Dynamics with an Increased Visibility of Territorial Diversity 3 Racing to the Bottom, the top—or Even to the Middle? 4 Understanding Pressures for Diversity in a Reformed German Federal System 5 The New Dynamics of German Federalism—future Look References