goverment of austria
Main form of government
The main form of government in Austria is a Federal Republic. In a Federal Republic, citizens elect officials to run the government. and the central government's power is strictly restricted. The countries regions are broken into states, provinces, or colonies.
differences and similarties between U.s and Austrian government
There are many differences and similarities between the U.S. and Austrian government. Some similarities are the Austrian and U.s government are both are a Federal Republic where citizens elect officials. Also, both governments have the 3 branches of government, the legislative, executive, and judicial branch. Lastly, both governments have gained their independence. There are also many differences between the Austrian and U.S. government. First of all, Austria only has 9 states and the U.S has 50 states. Each country has a different capital and the U.S. is larger than Austria. The U.S. has a stronger democratic tradition than the Austrian government. Last of all, the age of suffrage is different in the U.S. and Austria while the official voting age in Austria is 16 years old and the U.S.'s suffrage age is 18 years old. These are some similarities and differences between the Austrian and U.S. government.
who is the current governmental leader?
The current governmental leader of the executive branch of government is Heinz Fisher. Born in October 9th, 1938 he has been the president since July 8th 2004. His last term has ended and he has been in power for 12 years. The new elected president is going to be Alexander Van der Bellen on January 26th, 2017.
How does austria have elections?
The Executive Branch of Austria has it's election every 6 years (unless the former president is running for a second term). The candidates names are submitted (with 6,000 signatures and 3,600 euros). The Central Electoral Authority must announce the results immediately in the Official Gazette. If the election is not contested, the Federal Chancellor must announce results in the Federal Law Gazette.
When did Austria gain independence?
Austria gained their independence on October 26th, 1995 from Germany
SUFFRAGE AGE
You must be at least 16 years old to vote in Austria.
NATIONAL SYMBOLS
The Austrian coat of arms is a black eagle with broken charms around it's leg. It has a sickle and hammer in it's talons. The broken chains represent liberation from the National Socialist Dictatorship, the sickle for agriculture, and the hammer for industry. The red and white shied protects the front of the eagle and the crown rests on it's head.
National Animal: Black Eagle
National Bird: Barn Swallow
National Holiday
There are many national holidays in Austria but one important holiday in Austria is Epiphany. Epiphany (Dreikönigstag) is celebrated on January 6th and commentates the presentation of Jesus to the Magi or known as the Wise Men. On Epiphany, some people in Austria write a special sign in chalk over their door. It reminds people of the Wise Men that visited Jesus. It is made from splitting the year's numbers in two, (such as 20 and 17 for 2017) and the initials of the names sometimes given to the Three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. So 2017, would be 20*C*M*B*17. The sign is written to protect the house for the coming year ahead of themselves.