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Institutionalization
I want to begin by observing the institutionalization of the German Parliament and note its unmistakable signs. Let me discuss three of these signs. First, its members constitute a clearly identifiable group of political leaders distinguished from other leadership groups in politics and in society. Second, it has distinctive processes for conducting its business and distinctive norms of conduct for its members. Third, it has a complicated organization that is clearly related to its functions in the system of government.
If we look first at the membership of the Bundestag, we are struck by the obvious attractiveness of belonging to this House, and the success that the average member has in retaining his or her seat over several elections. Membership in the German Bundestag is a prize valued by politicians both for itself and for the higher offices to which it may lead. Membership in the Bundestag is nearly indispensable to a cabinet position in the Federal Republic. For that purpose mere membership is not usually enough. Extensive experience in the House, and preferably the achievement of leadership in its committees or in the parliamentary parties, is also required for attaining office in the cabinet. To gain the necessary experience a member must have considerable parliamentary tenure over several electoral periods and must develop a mastery of the norms of parliamentary behavior upon which success within the institution depends.
In seeking tenure in parliament, politicians therefore submit to some important conditions: the maintenance of a strong electoral connection to their party in the parliamentary constituency, upon which election and reelection to the Bundestag depend, and respect for the formal and informal norms which enable members to influence the collective decisions of the House. Thus the Bundestag is a magnet for the politically ambitious. In attracting them, it shapes the style of their political behavior. In these respects it is the institution of Parliament as much as the men and women who happen to sit in it at a given moment which affects German politics.
Entry into Parliament depends significantly on obtaining a party nomination for a constituency or a favorable position on a list of state candidates. In the German electoral system only three to five percent of the members are defeated in an average election. Seniority in the Bundestag therefore depends on repeated renomination. The members are electorally connected to their parties rather than to a personal following in their voting constituency. They must be responsive to their local party organization and the interest groups that are prominent within it. In this respect they differ fundamentally