Reform

Reform (Latin for re back; formatio: design, restoration ) referred to in the policy a larger, well-planned and non-violent transformation of existing conditions and systems.

The word appears already in Paul's letters in the Bible, and later in the context of the Protestant Reformation church at the time of Martin Luther.

Reforms in the history

Drastic changes in society is called even for the time of the Roman Republic as reforms. The Gracchan land reform failed in two attempts, 133 and 121 BC, Marius, however, was successful with his Marian military reforms 107 BC.

Well-known historical examples of reforms in Germany, the Prussian reforms that life reform movement that Bismarck's social reforms, the various currency reform in Germany, the reform of German orthography from 1996 and labor market reforms under the Agenda 2010.

In authoritarian regimes, dissidents often require reforms before they are pursued by governments. Glasnost and perestroika were as terms for Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms in the Soviet Union before the changes of 1989 and after the reforms of de-Stalinization under Nikita Khrushchev. In mainland China, the establishment of special economic zones and private property meant after the death of Mao Zedong's economic reforms ( → History of China: Economic Modernization ( since 1976) ).

Political reforms in Germany in the presence

In the political discussion in Germany, the political parties often speak of reforms. Thus, they express that they wish to remodel the existing conditions in accordance with their party programs. Examples of reform efforts of the recent past concerns about fiscal policy ( → Ecological Tax Reform Alliance 90/The Greens), the labor market policy ( → Hartz concept of the red -green coalition government Schröder ) or health policy ( → Health Reform 2007, the grand coalition with the Cabinet Merkel I).

Is controversial thesis that politics suffers in Germany to immobility or reform jam. Thomas Straubhaar and others explain the absence as deemed necessary reforms with the associated risks and costs, which open results and often unrecognized lasting positive effects stood against.

Church reforms

Early on, there were movements of the constant renewal of frozen forms, about what the abide by rules of the order in religious communities concerned. They are also referred to as reforms. An exemplary reform monastery was about Cluny Abbey.