US & Germany: Post-War History & Political Landscape
United States
The U.S. operates under a federal system where national institutions coexist with the unique characteristics of each state. The executive branch is headed by the President, who serves as both the chief of state and head of government. Legislative power resides in a bicameral Congress, comprising the House of Representatives, with members elected every two years, and the Senate, with two representatives from each state.
The highest judicial body is the U.S. Supreme Court. Harry S. Truman implemented the Marshall Plan for European reconstruction, formulated the Truman Doctrine to counter the international expansion of communism, and initiated the division of the world into a bipolar system, marking the beginning of the Cold War. The House Un-American Activities Committee, from which the term McCarthyism originated, launched a “witch hunt” in an attempt to uncover communist infiltrators.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower succeeded Truman as President. During his two terms, economic prosperity and full employment facilitated a 10% reduction in taxes. The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as a leader of the civil rights movement for the Black population. John F. Kennedy exemplified a policy of peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union and sought to implement his “New Frontier” program, aiming to connect contemporary efforts with the pioneering spirit of the past.
Under Richard Nixon, the U.S. faced serious internal challenges. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. reignited the issue of racial discrimination. Inequalities persisted, as evidenced by the emergence of the Black Panther Party, influenced by the ideas of Malcolm X. A significant segment of the youth actively opposed the Vietnam War, leading to university disruptions and the rise of the hippie movement, characterized by rock music and drug use.
Following the Vietnam War, Nixon confronted the economic crisis of 1973, which resulted in increased unemployment. After the presidency of Democrat Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan’s arrival marked a new era characterized by a militaristic approach, rearmament, and a more assertive international policy. In foreign affairs, Reagan favored conservatism and neoliberalism.
Germany
At the end of World War II, Germany faced a grim situation: the Nuremberg trials, educational reforms, and the reorganization of the judicial system along democratic lines. However, in 1949, two separate German states were established: the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). In 1949, German self-governance was restored, albeit under the supervision of the Allied High Commission until 1955.
The Basic Law of 1949 defined the political regime as a federal republic comprising 10 states. Legislative power is vested in a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Bundesrat (representing the states) and the Bundestag (elected by direct universal suffrage for a four-year term). For two decades, Germany was governed by Christian Democratic administrations, which oversaw the country’s reconstruction.
Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor from 1949 to 1963, and Ludwig Erhard were the primary architects of the “German Miracle,” transforming Germany into the most prosperous state in Western Europe despite the devastation of the war. In 1969, a shift occurred, with the Social Democrats assuming leadership. Willy Brandt initiated a radical change in foreign policy. In 1982, the Liberals, then a minority party, supported a vote of no confidence initiated by the Christian Democrats, leading to Helmut Kohl becoming Chancellor.