Föderalismus in historisch vergleichender Perspektive

Studies of the political system in the German Empire occupy a prominent place in historical research. However, advanced, innovatory studies on the workings of federalism in the Empire are few and far between. In contrast to examining the involvement of the Reichstag or individual parties in the policymaking process, research pays little attention to the significance of the federal organ of the Bundesrat.
This book examines federal participation in three legislative processes in the field of social policy. Using the examples of the accident insurance law of 1884, its amended version of 1900 and the imperial insurance law of 1911, it details federal involvement in their conception and how that involvement developed and changed. In doing so, it does not only focus on the constitutional body of the Bundesrat, but also on the formal and informal structures and processes that were decisive in the federal states’ involvement in conceiving and enacting the laws.