Question 103 of 300 · Living in a Democracy

Question 103: What is referred to as a "traffic light coalition" in Germany? The cooperation …

Official question from the BAMF catalog used for the Einbürgerungstest (German citizenship test) and the Leben in Deutschland test. Topic: Living in a Democracy.

The question as it appears on the exam

Was wird in Deutschland als "Ampelkoalition" bezeichnet? Die Zusammenarbeit …

The Einbürgerungstest is written and sat in German only, with no dictionary allowed. Use the English below to understand the question, but learn to recognise the German wording above — that is what you will see on the day.

Diese Frage auf Deutsch →

Answer options

Ader Bundestagsfraktionen von CDU und CSUof the CDU and CSU parliamentary groups in the Bundestag
Bvon SPD, FDP und Bündnis 90/Die Grünen in einer Regierungof SPD, FDP and Alliance 90/The Greens in a governmentCorrect
Cvon CSU, Die LINKE und Bündnis 90/Die Grünen in einer Regierungof CSU, The Left and Alliance 90/The Greens in a government
Dder Bundestagsfraktionen von CDU und SPDof the CDU and SPD parliamentary groups in the Bundestag

Correct answer

B — von SPD, FDP und Bündnis 90/Die Grünen in einer Regierung

of SPD, FDP and Alliance 90/The Greens in a government

Why this is the answer

This question belongs to the topic area “Leben in der Demokratie” (living in a democracy). One principle sits behind almost all of them: in Germany, state authority comes from the people — Article 20 of the Grundgesetz (the constitution). Citizens elect parliaments, parliaments pass laws, and the government answers to parliament. When you are unsure which option is right, ask yourself whether the answer increases ordinary people's say in government and puts limits on power. That option is almost always the correct one.

Key exam terms in this question

These exam terms appear in the question or in the answer options. Once you know them, you can still spot the right answer when the wording changes.

die Regierung — government
Die Regierung führt das Land.
der Bundestag — federal parliament (lower house)
Der Bundestag macht die Bundesgesetze.
die Koalition — coalition (government alliance)
Oft bilden Parteien eine Koalition.

All exam vocabulary with translations →

How this question fits into the exam

On exam day you answer 33 questions in 60 minutes: 30 from the general catalog of 300 questions — this question is one of them — and 3 about your federal state. You pass with 17 correct answers. Aiming for exactly 17 leaves no margin for nerves, so take timed mock exams until 33 out of 33 feels routine.

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