Book excerpt: First Published in 1981. The essential stability of the Federal German Republic was once more confirmed by the outcome of the 1980 election. In other respects too, there was little evidence that Western Germany would emulate the 'crisis situation' affecting other West European states. Yet 'stability' is not an immobile condition, and since it results from the interaction of a number of factors - political, social and economic - no single explanation of Germany's performance is likely to be convincing. Furthermore, West Germany has to face several unresolved problems which, although not pointing to a fundamental crisis, remind us that the concept of 'stability' has to be approached with care. The essays in this book reflect these ideas, and they explore a range of issues that are central to the understanding of contemporary German politics. The political focus is apparent in the analyses of the 1980 federal election and in the related contributions on political leadership and the questions surrounding German political culture. However, other themes also merit detailed attention: West German foreign policy and the Deutschlandpolitik as well as problems associated with university reform, the interpretation of German history, and the considerations affecting both the management and the performance of the West German economy. Finally, the discussion is concluded by examining the question of whether the German democracy does have 'secrets' that might explain the stability of the political system.