Domestic politics

As domestic policy decisions, legislation, programs and the actual actions of a State are designated by a government apply to the country's internal affairs. It is basically the opposite of foreign policy, which includes the political activities of a state vis-à-vis other countries. In fact, the areas also overlap. The fight against crime is increasingly being coordinated on a multinational basis ( e.g. Interpol ). Since the term domestic policy can encompass different areas, the term domestic policy is handled very differently internationally. Traditionally, domestic policy in the broader sense can include the following sub-areas: education policy , energy policy , health policy , internal security , tax policy , social policy , rights and obligations of the individual citizen, etc.

• In Germany domestic policy in the narrower sense traditionally includes questions of internal security, citizenship law , immigration law , the right to vote , the right to register and personal status law . The interior department also has general responsibility for all questions that are not clearly assigned to another ministry. At federal level, domestic policy is responsible for the Federal Police , the Federal Criminal Police Office , the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution , the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and numerous other authorities ( see also: Federal Ministry of the Interior ), as well as for collective bargaining in the public service. At the state level , the interior ministries are responsible for the police and the state protection of the constitution.

• In Switzerland , domestic policy is handled by the Federal Department of Home Affairs . He is subordinate to various federal offices that are responsible for old-age and survivors' insurance , research and education, cultural promotion, family policy, equality between women and men, equality for people with disabilities, combating racism, statistics, archiving and weather forecasts.
• In Anglo-Saxon countries such as the United States domestic politics is ( Engl . Domestic policy ) referred to as a comprehensive term for all political activities within a state.

literature

• Eckart Kehr : The primacy of domestic politics . Edited by Hans-Ulrich Wehler . Berlin [1965]. 2nd edition 1970.