This comprehensive yet concise introduction to modern German politics emphasizes the structural and attitudinal changes that have taken place over the past half-century in Germany, as well as the policy problems the country faces today. Focusing on the question of whether Germany is becoming the "sick man of Europe," this new edition discusses how many of the current trends and problems--such as labor market reforms, slow economic growth, and rising public deficits--are the result of Germany's poor adjustme