Principles and values

In Germany, people may openly say things against the government because…

1. freedom of religion applies here.
2. people pay taxes.
3. people have the right to vote.
4. freedom of expression applies here.

Germany is a state governed by the rule of law. What does that mean?

1. All residents and the state must obey the laws.
2. The state does not have to obey the laws.
3. Only Germans have to obey the laws.
4. The courts make the laws.

Elections in Germany are free. What does this mean?

1. You may accept money in exchange for voting for a particular candidate.
2. Only people who have never been in prison may vote.
3. Voters must neither be improperly influenced nor forced into a particular vote, and must not suffer disadvantages because of their vote.
4. All eligible voters must vote.

What is the German constitution called?

1. People's Law
2. Federal Law
3. German Law
4. Basic Law

Which statement is not in Germany's Basic Law?

1. Human dignity is inviolable.
2. Everyone should have the same amount of money.
3. Everyone may express their opinion.
4. Everyone is equal before the law.

What is the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany called?

1. Basic Law
2. Federal Constitution
3. Code of Laws
4. Constitutional Treaty

A party in the German Bundestag wants to abolish freedom of the press. Is this possible?

1. Yes, if more than half the members of the Bundestag support it.
2. Yes, but two thirds of the members of the Bundestag must support it.
3. No, because freedom of the press is a fundamental right. It cannot be abolished.
4. No, because only the Bundesrat can abolish freedom of the press.

Freedom of expression in Germany means, for example, that I…

1. may insult passers-by in the street.
2. can express my opinion on the internet.
3. may publicly wear Nazi, Hamas or Islamic State symbols.
4. may express my opinion only as long as I do not contradict the government.

What does Germany's Basic Law prohibit?

1. Military service
2. Forced labour
3. Free choice of occupation
4. Work abroad

When is freedom of expression restricted in Germany?

1. When publicly spreading false assertions about individual people
2. When expressing opinions about the federal government
3. When discussing religions
4. When criticising the state

German laws prohibit…

1. residents' freedom of expression.
2. citizens' petitions.
3. residents' freedom of assembly.
4. unequal treatment of citizens by the state.

Which fundamental right is guaranteed in Article 1 of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany?

1. The inviolability of human dignity
2. The right to life
3. Freedom of religion
4. Freedom of expression

A party in Germany aims to establish a dictatorship. It is then…

1. tolerant.
2. committed to the rule of law.
3. law-abiding.
4. unconstitutional.

Germany is…

1. a communist republic.
2. a democratic and social federal state.
3. a capitalist and social monarchy.
4. a social and socialist federal state.

Which is not a feature of our democracy?

1. Regular elections
2. Press censorship
3. Freedom of expression
4. Different parties

Which statement is correct? In Germany…

1. the state and religious communities are separate.
2. religious communities form the state.
3. the state depends on religious communities.
4. the state and religious communities form a single entity.

What is Germany not?

1. A democracy
2. A state governed by the rule of law
3. A monarchy
4. A social state

The Federal Republic of Germany is a democratic and social…

1. association of states.
2. federal state.
3. confederation.
4. centralised state.

Why is there more than one party in a democracy?

1. So that citizens' different opinions are represented
2. To limit bribery in politics
3. To prevent political demonstrations
4. To stimulate economic competition

When can a political party be banned in Germany?

1. When its election campaign is too expensive
2. When it fights against the constitution
3. When it criticises the head of state
4. When its programme proposes a new direction

Which of these is not part of a democratic state governed by the rule of law?

1. People can criticise the government.
2. Citizens may demonstrate peacefully.
3. People are arrested by a private police force without a reason.
4. Someone commits a crime and is arrested for it.

What does “popular sovereignty” mean? All state authority comes from…

1. the people.
2. the Bundestag.
3. the Prussian king.
4. the Federal Constitutional Court.

What does “a state governed by the rule of law” mean in Germany?

1. The state is right.
2. There are only right-wing parties.
3. Citizens decide on laws.
4. The state must obey the laws.

What does “popular sovereignty” mean?

1. The king or queen rules over the people.
2. The Federal Constitutional Court is above the constitution.
3. Interest groups exercise sovereignty together with the government.
4. State authority derives from the people.

Which action concerning the State of Israel is prohibited in Germany?

1. Publicly criticising Israel's policies
2. Displaying an Israeli flag on private property
3. Discussing Israel's policies
4. Publicly calling for Israel's destruction

Elections in Germany are…

1. special.
2. secret.
3. dependent on occupation.
4. dependent on sex.

Who may join the roughly 40 Jewish Makkabi sports clubs?

1. Only Germans
2. Only Israelis
3. Only religious people
4. Everyone

Elections in Germany are free. What does that mean?

1. All convicted criminals are barred from voting.
2. If I want to vote, my employer must give me the day off.
3. Everyone may decide without coercion whether to vote and whom to vote for.
4. I may freely choose any place to vote.

Which principles govern elections in Germany? Elections are…

1. free, equal and secret.
2. open, secure and free.
3. closed, equal and secure.
4. secure, open and voluntary.

Which is an example of antisemitic behaviour?

1. Attending a Jewish festival
2. Criticising the Israeli government
3. Denying the Holocaust
4. Playing football against Jews

In 1933, Adolf Hitler and the National Socialists established… in Germany.

1. a dictatorship.
2. a democratic state.
3. a monarchy.
4. a principality.

The “Third Reich” was a…

1. dictatorship.
2. democracy.
3. monarchy.
4. council republic.

What characterised the Nazi state? A policy of…

1. state racism
2. freedom of expression
3. general religious freedom
4. developing democracy

What existed in Germany under National Socialism?

1. The banning of political parties
2. The right to develop one's personality freely
3. Freedom of the press
4. Protection of human dignity

Who may not live together as a couple in Germany?

1. Hans, aged 20, and Marie, aged 19
2. Tom, aged 20, and Klaus, aged 45
3. Sofie, aged 35, and Lisa, aged 40
4. Anne, aged 13, and Tim, aged 25

What does the principle of equal treatment mean in Germany?

1. Nobody may be disadvantaged, for example because of a disability.
2. People may disadvantage others if they have sufficient personal reasons.
3. Nobody may sue when they have been disadvantaged.
4. Everyone is legally required to donate money to disadvantaged groups every year.

A 22-year-old woman in Germany lives with her boyfriend. Her parents disapprove because they dislike him. What can the parents do?

1. They must respect their adult daughter’s decision.
2. They have the right to bring her back to their home.
3. They can report her to the police.
4. They find another man for their daughter.

Which living arrangement is not allowed in Germany?

1. A divorced man and woman live with new partners.
2. Two women live together.
3. A single father lives with his two children.
4. A man is married to two women at the same time.

A woman with a two-year-old child applies for a job in Germany. Which is an example of discrimination? She is refused solely because she …

1. does not speak English.
2. expects too high a salary.
3. has no experience in this occupation.
4. is a mother.

A wheelchair user applies for a bookkeeping job. Which is an example of discrimination? He is refused solely because he …

1. uses a wheelchair.
2. has no experience.
3. expects too high a salary.
4. does not speak English.

Two dark-skinned friends are refused entry to a public swimming pool in Germany because of their skin colour. Which right is violated? The right to …

1. freedom of expression.
2. equal treatment.
3. freedom of assembly.
4. freedom of movement.

A dark-skinned man applies for a waiter’s job in Germany. Which is an example of discrimination? He is refused solely because …

1. his German is insufficient.
2. he expects too high a salary.
3. he has dark skin.
4. he has no occupational experience.

People in Germany follow the principle of religious tolerance. What does that mean?

1. Mosques may not be built.
2. Everyone believes in God.
3. Everyone may believe what they choose.
4. The state decides which god people believe in.