Fundamentals of Democracy (1) - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 1981 - 50 Pfennig

The German Federal Post Office begins a new special postage stamp series "Basic Thoughts of Democracy" with three stamps, which refer to basic principles of the state organization: 40 Pf - Rechtsstaat; 50 Pf - separation of powers; 60 Pf - People's sovereignty. All three principles are laid down for our constitutional order in Article 20 of the Basic Law (GG), which has also been called a "constitution in short form". The state power is exercised by special organs of legislation, executive power and jurisdiction. The principle of separation of powers set out in the second sentence of Article 20 (2) of the Basic Law states that the sovereign power considered to be uniform is assigned to three different organs for exercise ("strictly speaking", therefore, it is not "shared"). The three bodies are: - the legislative power (Legislative): Bundestag, Bundesrat, Land parliaments - the executive (executive): Federal Government, state governments, districts and municipalities (with all subordinate authorities) - the judiciary: Courts of the district court to the Federal Constitutional Court. The basic idea of ​​the separation of powers goes far beyond the organizational. It serves to prevent an arbitrary rule by bringing the three bearers of basic state functions into a system of mutual inhibition and control. (Text: Federal Ministry of the Interior, Bonn)