The New German Constitution

CONTENTS

Foreword	v
CHAPTER I THE ORIGINS
Section 1 THE REVOLUTION
The Constitution of April 16, 1871, and the reforms of October, 1918	1
The fall of the old rÉgime	12
The republic of councils	16
Section 2 THE NATIONAL CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
The composition of the Assembly	24
The Provisional Constitution of February 10, 1919	28
The adoption of the Constitution and supplementary laws	35
CHAPTER II TOWARD A UNIFIED STATE
Section 1 TERRITORIAL STATUS OF THE STATES
The problem of the dismemberment of Prussia	43
Modifications of the territories of states	53
The creation of a state—Thuringia	57
Section 2 DIVISION OF POWER BETWEEN THE REICH AND THE STATES
The constitution of the states	59
The legislative power of the Reich	61
(1) Fundamental limits of power	61
(2) Supremacy of national over state laws	65
Administrative services of the government	65
Justice and the High Court	68
Section 3 JURIDICAL AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE REICH
Is the Reich a federal state?	69
Prussia and the Reich	72
CHAPTER III THE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLE
Section 1 THE PRINCIPLE
The power of the state is derived from the people	75
The system of councils, or the dictatorship of the proletariat	77
The Chamber of Labour, or the Vocational Parliament	82
The Political Activity of the Unions	91
Section 2 THE APPLICATIONS
The republic	98
Universal suffrage, the political parties and the electoral law	100
General principles	103
The electorate and eligibility	109
Preparations for elections	112
Distribution of seats	113
The actual working of the law	115
Direct government	118
CHAPTER IV PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT
Section 1 THE REICHSTAG
Privileges and guarantees accorded to the Reichstag	131
The rules of the Reichstag	135
The duration of the powers of the Reichstag	137
Powers of the Reichstag	138
1. Powers of the Reichstag, as principal holder of sovereignty	The German Constitution Clyx.com

The German Constitution