Federalism in Germany

The central government, the states, and the German municipalities have different tasks and partially competing regions of responsibilities ruled by a complex system of checks and balances.

After the end of World War II, the federal nature of Germany was restored, after having been effectively abolished under the Nazis.

The current German constitution, adopted in 1949, protects Germany's federal nature in the so-called eternity clause.

The states are represented at the federal level through the Bundesrat, which has a role similar to the upper house in a true bicameral parliament.

The exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the federal government includes defense, foreign affairs, immigration, citizenship, communications, and currency standards, whereas the states have exclusive jurisdiction on the police (excluding federal police), most of education, the press, freedom of assembly, public housing, prisons and media affairs, among others.

The Bavarian–Austrian Salt Treaty of 1829 (German: Konvention zwischen Bayern und Österreich über die beiderseitigen Salinenverhältnisse vom 18.

The Bundestag is typically the dominant body in ordinary federal lawmaking, but the Bundesrat's explicit consent (an absolute majority of members voting in favour) is required for every approval law, i.e. bills that affect state finances or administrational duties in some way,[7] which makes up roughly 40% of all federal legislation,[8] otherwise the bill is effectively vetoed and this veto cannot be overridden by the Bundestag.

[7] In a rotating fashion, Federal Constitutional Court judges are elected by a two-thirds majority vote by the Bundestag and the Bundesrat.