Candidate
A candidate is a candidate ( for example, an office) or a candidate for a position. The word is in German occupied since the 16th century and goes back to the Latin candidatus ( The candidate ). In the derivation of the toga candida (Latin candidus ' glossy, white " ), a white robe that had to wear a contender for an office in ancient Rome. A substantive it denotes " the official candidate, who had to imagine the people in the candida, white toga ". The reason: Even the Roman nobility, who otherwise usually wore a purple stripe on the toga was, during the election campaign required to wear a plain white toga, to maintain equal opportunities for all candidates. The derivation candidacy as " Application for a ( political ) office" emerged in the 19th century from the French candidature.
Choice candidate in politics
A candidate is a person who competes in an election for a mandate or office.
Top candidate
For a list, selection of candidates, which occupies the first list position, the top candidate to say. Usually the person is from the major political parties nominated there, which in the case of the government entering the party to take over the main office. So chancellor candidates in the SPD and CDU at the federal level generally made to the top candidates, at the country level, provided by the Party Prime Minister.
Since the top candidate of the party represented in parliament belong to this course, they can now, if Parliament chooses due to the limitations imposed by the choice majorities the head of government, to take part in this election - and therefore possibly choose themselves. The first election of Konrad Adenauer as chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany on September 15, 1949 could not succeed without his own voice. A leading candidate, the Head of Government or Minister is allowed to keep his seat in parliament after the ruling constitutional opinion. For the local level, however, write the local constitutions of countries partly before that a community representative who is elected to the community council ( so for example, a city councilor, the magistrate Member will ), his position as community representatives lose in order to prevent conflicts of interest.
For a member of the government, even if it belongs to the Parliament and its deputies rights occasionally uses, the parliamentary work are not important. An important task of the deputies who control the government, it can not perceive naturally. If the party of the top candidates in the opposition, however, as the top candidate chooses often to keep his high office on a subordinate political level ( for example, if it can not be Chancellor to remain prime minister of a country). He then takes the seat in parliament, for which he has a candidate, usually not true. The top candidate of a politician so often means not (or not primarily ) that he aspires to the office for which he may run. It is therefore sometimes referred to polemic as pseudo candidacy. The top candidates lead their party but during the election campaign and are therefore the most important personalities in the political debate.
Even with the small parties, the top candidates for entry into the government after the election are usually provided for one of the most important ministries.
Opposing candidate / Zählkandidat
Is there a choice about the basis of preliminary agreements, a clear favorite, so is a candidate, who is competing against this, called a rival candidate. If this given little chance to actually be elected, he is also known as Zählkandidat: His candidacy serves only to determine the number of opposition votes. Achieved the candidate nevertheless a (measured at its election chances ) good result, so it is called a moderate success. There are various reasons for the establishment of Zählkandidaten:
- The candidacy of Zählkandidaten can serve to " flag " to show to achieve a moderate success and thus improve the chances of subsequent elections. For example, Alfred Dregger launched at the state election in Hesse in 1970 as " Zählkandidat " a party (the CDU), who had received at the last election just 26.4 % of the vote. He led the CDU in 4 elections as the leading candidate to 45.6 % in 1982.
- For persons elected in the first ballot, an absolute majority of the votes cast is often required. Here is a Zählkandidatur has the function to demonstrate the strength of their own supporters. Do not experience the Zählkandidat in the second round to ( or can not, because a second ballot is then provided ), so he can influence by a choice recommendation ( or lack of such ) in favor of one of the remaining candidates. Examples are the French presidential election in 2007, has deliberately avoids a choice recommendation when François Bayrou, or the German presidential election in 1925.
- If the electoral law provides that a person choice is carried out when only one list is registered to vote, but a list of choice when multiple lists are available (for example, in some local elections in the Works and Staff Council elections), it may be electorally useful set up a second list of Zählkandidaten to ensure that voters can not change the order of the candidates of the only serious list.
- Will be made unless election expenses reimbursement, there is also an economic reason to set up Zählkandidaten.
- In totalitarian states Zählkandidaten be set up to give the appearance of a democratic election.
Sham candidate
If a candidate - or any substantial part of it nominator - even at the candidacy clear that he will not accept his mandate, if elected, it is referred to as pseudo- candidates. An exception leading candidate of a party list that do not primarily seeking the parliamentary mandate for which they stand, but a government office that has to forgive this Parliament. This is common in the Federal Republic of Germany and is generally not contested ( see the section leading candidate ).
On the other hand actually standing personalities - and not majorities - to choose from, and then by a group a popular person is advanced with the plan that they do not take office, but wants to leave another, it must be described as misleading the voter. Sham candidacies to rear list places, however, are quite common. So small parties sometimes want to make the seriousness of their candidacy by clear that they put up at least as many candidates as seats are up for grabs. Each voter then knows that a candidacy on the back 90 % or 95 % of the in the list is not to be understood as the pursuit of a mandate, but as support for the concerns of the party.
Sometimes such certificate candidates are challenged by the franchise outright. For example, determines the Hessian local elections that will only be fully counted in the elections to the municipal council votes that were cast for a party if the party has named candidates for at least one third of the available seats. Allows the right to vote, that voters influence the order of the candidates (for example, by cumulating and cross-voting ), you can still get from the rear list places surprisingly a mandate a prominent note candidate. Whether he accepts this now, is entirely his own decision. He will have to make in consideration of the responsibility to his constituents, of responsibility to him nominating party and his personal interests.
Candidates Communist parties
In the management committees of communist parties new members were first taken up as a candidate, for example, Candidate for the Politburo. In this state, they participated without vote, in the meetings. Even simple members often had to, for example, through in the SED, a candidate for one to two years.
Candidate in religious communities
Some religious communities have prior to postulate a time of candidacy, in which the candidate (also aspirant ) can come into contact with the community. It is for both job applicant as well as religious community at a time of testing and deliberation. The intensity of the contact at this time may vary widely; for some Order of the candidates already living with in the community, others a meeting is agreed at regular intervals. The duration of the candidacy period varies greatly within the Order.
Academic importance
In Germany the term " candidate" not an academic degree in contrast to some Eastern European and Scandinavian countries. Different meanings are associated with the term " candidate":
- Student in the fifth semester ( in the 18th and 19th centuries )
- Student after passing a preliminary examination as Philosophikum ( cand phil. ) Physikum ( medical student ), etc. In Austria, also a student after the first degree examination in medicine after the first oral examination.
- In Belgium, the " Candidat " exists (see Academic degree in Belgium).
- Theologian, who held before the exam ecclesiastical ( until 18th century )
As well as
- PhD student and aspiring to an academic degree (since the late 16th century ).
- The Russian academic degree " candidate of sciences " as the end of the so-called postgraduate corresponds to the Western European "Doctor " or " Ph. D. " and requires a dissertation. (: - " Dr. sc " Promotion B DDR) today roughly the western European " Dr. contrast, the awarded in the Eastern Bloc and the CIS degree " Doctor of Science ". "or lecturers hab accordingly. In Czechoslovakia and Hungary was until the early 1990s, the Candidatus Scientiarum (C. Sc.) Awarded by the Soviet model as an academic title, this is now shown as a Ph. D. equivalent.