German Names of the 50 Most Common Political Terms

🏛️ Introduction

Politics is an essential aspect of society, and understanding political terminology in German can help you engage more effectively in discussions, follow current events, or study political science. Whether you’re reading German news, following political debates, or studying international relations, this guide will introduce you to the 50 most common political terms in German. In this post, you’ll learn:

• Essential political vocabulary

• Government and legislative terms

• Political ideologies and systems

• Election-related terminology

• Useful phrases for political discussions

By the end of this guide, you’ll feel more confident discussing politics in German.

Political terms in German

🗳️ 1. Basic Political Vocabulary

English	German
Politics	die Politik
Government	die Regierung
State	der Staat
Nation	die Nation
Country	das Land
Democracy	die Demokratie
Republic	die Republik
Constitution	die Verfassung
Law	das Gesetz
Rights	die Rechte
Freedom	die Freiheit
Power	die Macht
Authority	die Autorität
Policy	die Politik / die Maßnahme
Legislation	die Gesetzgebung

🏛️ 2. Government and Legislative Terms

English	German
Parliament	das Parlament
Bundestag	der Bundestag (German Parliament)
Federal Council	der Bundesrat
Chancellor	der Kanzler / die Kanzlerin
President	der Präsident / die Präsidentin
Minister	der Minister / die Ministerin
Prime Minister	der Premierminister
Member of Parliament (MP)	der Abgeordnete / die Abgeordnete
Committee	der Ausschuss
Government Agency	die Behörde
Political Office	das Amt
Cabinet	das Kabinett
Executive Branch	die Exekutive
Legislative Branch	die Legislative
Judicial Branch	die Judikative

🌐 3. Political Ideologies and Systems

English	German
Democracy	die Demokratie
Republic	die Republik
Monarchy	die Monarchie
Socialism	der Sozialismus
Communism	der Kommunismus
Capitalism	der Kapitalismus
Liberalism	der Liberalismus
Conservatism	der Konservatismus
Nationalism	der Nationalismus
Populism	der Populismus
Fascism	der Faschismus
Anarchism	der Anarchismus
Federalism	der Föderalismus
Totalitarianism	der Totalitarismus
Oligarchy	die Oligarchie

📊 4. Election-Related Terms

English	German
Election	die Wahl
Voter	der Wähler / die Wählerin
Vote	die Stimme
Ballot	der Stimmzettel
Poll	die Umfrage
Campaign	die Wahlkampagne
Political Party	die Partei
Coalition	die Koalition
Majority	die Mehrheit
Minority	die Minderheit
Opposition	die Opposition
Debate	die Debatte
Candidate	der Kandidat / die Kandidatin
Election Results	das Wahlergebnis
Electoral System	das Wahlsystem

📜 5. Political Processes and Legal Terms

English	German
Legislation	die Gesetzgebung
Referendum	das Referendum
Amendment	die Verfassungsänderung
Ratification	die Ratifizierung
Treaty	der Vertrag
Agreement	die Vereinbarung
Decree	das Dekret
Regulation	die Verordnung
Lawmaker	der Gesetzgeber
Jurisdiction	die Gerichtsbarkeit
Constitutionality	die Verfassungsmäßigkeit
Justice	die Gerechtigkeit
Court	das Gericht
Supreme Court	das Oberste Gericht
Human Rights	die Menschenrechte

💬 6. Useful Phrases for Political Discussions

English	German
What do you think about this policy?	Was halten Sie von dieser Politik?
Do you support this candidate?	Unterstützen Sie diesen Kandidaten?
What’s your opinion on the election?	Was ist Ihre Meinung zur Wahl?
I agree with that political stance.	Ich stimme dieser politischen Haltung zu.
I disagree with this decision.	Ich bin mit dieser Entscheidung nicht einverstanden.
Who will win the election?	Wer wird die Wahl gewinnen?
This law should be changed.	Dieses Gesetz sollte geändert werden.
What’s the impact of this policy?	Was ist die Auswirkung dieser Politik?
That’s a controversial issue.	Das ist ein kontroverses Thema.
We need political reform.	Wir brauchen eine politische Reform.

🏛️ 7. Understanding German Political Institutions

Germany has a unique political structure defined by its federal system and parliamentary democracy. Here are a few key institutions:

• Bundestag: The federal parliament, responsible for passing laws.

• Bundesrat: The federal council representing Germany’s states (Bundesländer).

• Bundespräsident: The federal president, mainly a ceremonial role.

• Bundeskanzler: The federal chancellor, the head of government.

• Verfassungsgericht: The constitutional court that oversees the application of constitutional law.

✅ 8. Practice Exercises

Try translating these sentences into German:

1. The president addressed the parliament.

2. The election results were surprising.

3. Do you support this political party?

4. The constitution guarantees human rights.

5. The opposition criticised the government’s policy.

Answers:

1. Der Präsident hat das Parlament angesprochen.

2. Die Wahlergebnisse waren überraschend.

3. Unterstützen Sie diese politische Partei?

4. Die Verfassung garantiert die Menschenrechte.

5. Die Opposition kritisierte die Politik der Regierung.

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🎓 9. Conclusion

Understanding political terminology in German opens the door to engaging in meaningful discussions, following political news, and deepening your knowledge of German politics and society. With these 50 essential terms, you’ll feel more confident engaging in political conversations and understanding current events.

Next time you read the news or watch a debate, try identifying these terms in context. Viel Erfolg beim Lernen! (Good luck learning!)