{"id":4169,"date":"2024-06-19T22:46:48","date_gmt":"2024-06-19T22:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.datapulse.de\/?p=4169"},"modified":"2026-09-05T16:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T16:20:09","slug":"germans-basic-law-favorably-show-moderate-enthusiasm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.datapulse.de\/en\/germans-basic-law-favorably-show-moderate-enthusiasm\/","title":{"rendered":"Positive View of Germany’s Basic Law With Moderate Enthusiasm"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Basic Law came into force on May 23, 1949, forming the basis of the Federal Republic of Germany. Originally intended as a temporary solution, it became the constitution for all of Germany after reunification in 1990. On its 75th anniversary, YouGov, together with the SINUS Institute, conducted a representative online survey among Germans to find out: How is the Basic Law evaluated? Which fundamental rights are particularly important? What additions are missing from the constitution? And how satisfied are people with democracy in Germany?<\/p>\n

The majority of Germans support the Basic Law, but not all: 73 percent rate our constitution positively. On the other hand, 17 percent are critical \u2014 at least 10 million people aged 18 to 75 years. Two-thirds of respondents (67 percent) consider the Basic Law one of the Federal Republic’s most significant achievements.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Significant Differences in Evaluation and Knowledge Gaps in the Population<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There are significant differences in the assessment of the Basic Law within society: Men rate it much more positively than women. Also, age, education level, and political interest influence opinions about the Basic Law: Older people, those with higher formal education, or politically interested individuals tend to have a more positive opinion. Interestingly, there is little difference between East and West Germans in their evaluation.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, there are substantial knowledge gaps in the population: 43 percent of Germans admit they are not well acquainted with the Basic Law. Many cannot provide answers to various questions about the Basic Law and often respond with “don’t know.”<\/p>\n

The Basic Law plays a minor role in everyday life – A dedicated holiday is not a priority<\/b><\/p>\n

For many Germans, the Basic Law remains abstract: It plays an important role in daily life for less than half (44 percent). Only one-third of respondents (34 percent) wish for an annual holiday to honor the Basic Law. At the same time, only 11 percent say they are indifferent to the Basic Law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201eOur study results show that the majority of people in Germany can identify with the Basic Law. At the same time, the data suggests that engagement with the Basic Law does not play a significant role in daily life. Additionally, nearly half of the respondents (48 percent) believe that the Basic Law should be revised to better reflect current realities. This indicates that Germans do not view their constitution indifferently,\u201c says Philipp Schneider, Head of Marketing at YouGov Germany.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Key Fundamental Rights: Protection of human dignity, equality before the law, freedom of opinion and press<\/b><\/p>\n

Fundamental rights form the foundation of our constitution. They include the rights that every citizen is entitled to vis-\u00e0-vis the state. When asked about the three most important fundamental rights, Germans most frequently mention the inviolability or protection of human dignity (52 percent), equality of all people before the law (49 percent), and freedom of opinion and press (40 percent).<\/p>\n

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No consensus on specific proposals for Basic Law amendments<\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In the 75 years since its adoption, the Basic Law has been amended frequently, and currently, there are many proposals for further development in politics and society. However, none of the 13 different proposals received broad approval in a survey. The most supported proposal is a new fundamental right to dignified housing (36 percent). Also receiving significant support could be a constitutional ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity (31 percent), the incorporation of children’s rights, German as an official language, or nationwide referendums in the Basic Law (each 31 percent). Respondents see less need for changes regarding the term “race” (15 percent), relaxation of the debt brake (12 percent), or introduction of compulsory voting in federal elections (9 percent).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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The center of society shows particular dissatisfaction with democracy<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Basic Law defines how democracy works in Germany. However, currently, only about half of Germans (52 percent) are satisfied with democracy in our country, with 11 percent being very satisfied and 41 percent rather satisfied. On the other hand, 40 percent express dissatisfaction (including 15 percent very dissatisfied).<\/p>\n

Satisfaction with democracy is significantly influenced by a person’s milieu affiliation more than gender, age, education, or political interest. This is shown by data analysis using the Sinus-Milieus societal model, which divides the population into ten “groups of like-minded people.”<\/p>\n

The center of society consists of several milieus that shape the attitudes of the entire country. Dissatisfaction with democracy is particularly pronounced in milieus of the center. In the so-called Nostalgic-Bourgeois milieu, 59 percent express dissatisfaction \u2014 the highest among all groups. Dr. Silke Borgstedt, Managing Director of the SINUS Institute, explains: “This strongly harmony-oriented part of the center feels pressured by the diverse and complex changes and longs for what are perceived as the good old days.”<\/p>\n

Dissatisfaction with democracy is also above average in another milieu of the center: 47 percent of Adaptiv-Pragmatic individuals express dissatisfaction. Dr. Borgstedt adds: “This modern, performance-oriented part of the center is in the rush hour of their lives and increasingly frustrated by poor infrastructure and unfulfilled transformation promises. Both milieus of the center are united by the desire for predictability and security, as well as the perception that state and politics do not adequately address their concerns.”<\/p>\n

Majority sees democracy and cohesion threatened – Increase since 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Faced with current societal challenges, 59 percent of Germans see democracy as threatened. This represents an increase of 6 percentage points compared to a 2019 survey (53 percent). Right-wing forces cause significantly more concern among Germans (59 percent) than left-wing forces (44 percent). 69 percent of respondents lament that in Germany, we have lost sight of what unites us. Two-thirds (65 percent) of people in this country are satisfied with living in Germany, while significantly fewer (44 percent) are proud of our country.<\/p>\n

Methodological Note<\/strong><\/p>\n

The results are based on an online survey conducted by YouGov Deutschland GmbH with YouGov Surveys<\/a>, in which a total of 2,065 people participated between April 18 and 25, 2024. The weighted results are representative of the German population aged 18 to 75 years.<\/p>\n

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This story originally appeared on YouGov<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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