German Unification as a Catalyst for Change: Linking Political Transformation at the Domestic and International Levels

Abstract

Fundamental social, political and economic changes that have taken hold in the Federal Republic since 1990 have undermined the idea of a single master narrative setting the course for unification. This special issue links processes of national transformation to a wide array of domestic, supranational and global developments, highlighting the long-term impact of unification on policy domains often neglected during earlier stages of analysis. At issue are the dynamics reshaping the political party system, migration and asylum reforms, the reconfiguration of gender roles, along with new responsibilities and constraints affecting German foreign and security policy. We outline the four key questions addressed by each contributor regarding: 1) the causes, effects and the direction of change in each sector; 2) the balance between internal and external, as well as between direct and indirect forces for change; 3) questions of timing and sequence; and 4) the somewhat surprising impact of eastern practices in reconfiguring long-established structures and norms rooted in the western states.