!!!Politisches System Österreichs

Austrian Political System; the term covers all governmental and 
non-governmental institutions, persons, rules and procedures that play 
a role in politics, in interaction with the social system. Needs and 
interests are mainly articulated, channelled and publicly discussed by 
the  Political Parties, associations, other social groups, the media 
and the citizens, and it is from these groups that the holders of 
political office are recruited. Responsibility for setting norms 
(legislative power) is entrusted to Parliament, and these norms are 
applied by the government and administration (executive power) and 
interpreted by the courts (judicial power).

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An important characteristic of the Austrian political system is the 
significance that attaches to the political parties and associations 
in the process of policy-making and decision-making ("state 
subject to the control of political parties and associations"). One 
feature of the system that is sometimes criticised is the lack of 
transparency regarding the influence of large economic associations, 
which is especially exercised through the  Social Partnership. By 
comparison, the role of the citizen seems to be strongly limited, 
although  New Social Movements, supported by the media, have been 
gaining political weight since the 1970s. As far as the organs of the 
state are concerned, the  Federal Government  has more influence than  
Parliament, while the influence of the administration on the political 
level is difficult to measure. As a counterweight, there are a number 
of control authorities, especially the  Court of Audit, the  
Constitutional Court and the  Administrative Court. Since the 
beginning of the 1980s criticism of the Austrian political system has 
increased (out of touch with what the citizens want, abuse of power, 
complexity of politics), but there have not been any significant 
changes so far.

!Literature
H. Dachs, et al. (eds.), Handbuch des politischen 
Systems Oesterreichs, 1991.


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