Auf verlorenem Posten? Eine Untersuchung zu Einflussmöglichkeiten der Opposition im Bayerischen Landtag

Abstract

The opposition role of Social Democrats (SPD) and the Green Party in the Bavarian State Parliament is defined by the hegemony of the Christian Social Union (CSU) who has been governing the state for many decades. Both opposition parties use several strategies, situated on different levels of publicity, in order to influence the CSU faction and the Bavarian State Government. Distinctive features in their parliamentary appearance and the strategies they choose in order to gain influences reflect significant profiles of party politics. While Social Democats focused on a strategy of matter-of-factly cooperation and in some controversial legislative cases sought to intermediate, the Green party group chose confrontational power politics which had their main effect outside of parliament. Central pillars of the analysis, which focuses on the 13th congressional term (1994-1998), are 21 expert interviews (guided by central questions) with members of all party groups and a detailed examination of nine (out of 181) legislative procedures (involving motions, committee and parliamentary debates)