Parliament

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The German Parliament is made up of the Bundestag and the Bundesrat. The supreme legislative body is the Bundestag (Federal Assembly), the lower house of Parliament, which is elected every four years. It in turn elects the Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler).

The Bundesrat (Federal Council), the upper house of Parliament, represents the 16 federal states (Bundesländer) and cooperates in law-making and administering the federation. Its members are appointed by the individual Länder, or states. Sometimes, the Bundestag and the Bundesrat blocking each other, making effective government very difficult and lead to a consens driven politics of compromise.