Der Deutsche Bundestag

The German Bundestag (Der Deutsche Bundestag) is the lower house of the German Federal Parliament. Members of the Bundestag are directly elected by voters and serve a four-year term. The Bundestag elects a President of the Bundestag, who holds the second-highest position in the country, after the Federal President. One of the functions of the German Bundestag is to oversee the government. The purpose of the Bundestag is to prevent the government from abusing its power, to prompt the government to clarify its work, and to urge the government to improve its performance. Parliamentary oversight mainly includes political, legal, and financial supervision. There are 26 standing committees within the Bundestag. The main functions of the standing committees are to conduct in-depth review of draft laws and to draft resolutions for plenary sessions. Each federal ministry has a specialized committee corresponding to the Bundestag to coordinate day-to-day work.