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Abstract
Applying an analytical approach to studying the German chancellorship that focuses on the resources and constraints of individual chancellors, this article offers an assessment of the current state of the chancellorship. From a historical perspective at least five aspects may be highlighted as core features of the Schroder chancellorship: a (slightly) decreasing importance of 'coalition rounds' and 'coalition talks' as informal decision-making arenas in the core executive, a significant weakening of the Bundestag as a recruitment pool for the governing elite, a rather modest influence of the junior coalition partner within the government, a marked distance between the chancellor and his own party, and a dramatic increase in the importance of public leadership. While 1998 change of government introduced a new style of executive leadership that contrasts markedly with the decision making style of Schroder's predecessor Kohl, most of the more recent developments are not of an unprecedented character and do not fundamentally challenge the established parameters of executive leadership in Germany.