The Federal and State Levels

Glass dome of the german Reichstag in Berlin.

Our work does not focus on demographic change and how we can influence it per se, but on how we can create a viable future for Germany as its population ages and shrinks. Demographic change is undoubtedly the greatest challenge policymakers currently face - not only in individual communities, but at the federal and state level as well. If the changes stemming from demographic shifts are to be successfully mastered, coming developments and their consequences must first be clearly identified.

Focus Areas

Federalism

Within the framework of its project work, the Bertelsmann Stiftung wants to bring together academic specialists and political leaders of opposing viewpoints in order to explore possibilities for generating consensus and, as a result, bring new momentum to a situation that has, until now, been characterized by stalemate. Our efforts focus less on the development of normative standards than on combining federalist structures and systems in a practical manner, depending on the area under consideration. Leaving current reform efforts behind, we attempt to identify, analyze and design different options for distributing responsibilities and funding among Germany’s federal and state governments.