Creating Participatory Democracy: Green Politics in Germany since 1983

In March 1983, the West German Greens became the first new party to enter the Bundestag since the early days of the Federal Republic. This shock to the country's political system changed the debate on how West German democracy could be expanded or reformed. The Greens' significant recent gains in parliamentary representation, which were highlighted by their 2011 electoral victory in the state of Baden-Württemberg, evince the enduring effects of Green politics on German democratic praxis.Our workshop, which will take place on the thirtieth anniversary of the Greens' entrance into the West German parliament, will use that occasion as an opportunity to raise new questions about the democratic visions and achievements of the Greens and their predecessors in the New Social Movements. Specifically, we will ask how Green politics challenged West German democratic praxis and question whether the Greens' own understanding of democracy changed when they entered parliament in 1983. We will also investigate the Greens' position on Jewish issues and their stance towards Israel. The workshop will include a keynote address by Andrei Markovits (University of Michigan), as well as presentations by Christoph Becker-Schaum (Heinrich Böll Foundation), Friederike Brühöfener (UNC-CH), Belinda Davis (Rutgers), Herbert Kitschelt (Duke), Silke Mende (Tübingen), Stephen Milder (Duke), and Saskia Richter (Hildesheim).