Verfassungsstaat, Souveränität, Pluralismus

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The book explores the life and work of Otto Kirchheimer, focusing on the Weimar Constitution's challenges and decline, alongside the historical and societal conditions contributing to the crisis of the Weimar Republic. It examines the relationship between the constitution, welfare state, and democracy, as well as Kirchheimer's methods of constitutional analysis regarding societal power dynamics. The transition from National Socialism to democracy is analyzed, highlighting the dissolution of normative state structures and Kirchheimer's insights on the Nazi regime from 1935 to 1941. It poses questions about sovereignty and pluralism, particularly in relation to the Weimar constitutional debate and perspectives from exiles like Franz Neumann and Kirchheimer on West Germany. The text delves into law and state protection in democracy, discussing law as a strategic resource and the role of political justice in a constitutional state. It further investigates the evolution and judicial oversight of constitutional protection in Germany. The analysis extends to the party system and parliamentary democracy, addressing Kirchheimer's contributions to the understanding of Western European party systems and political perspectives, including those of the Greens in Germany. The work concludes with reflections on the future of political science and a bibliography of Kirchheimer's writings.