AustriaDemokratie 65 · Democracy and the Republic's core principles
What is the difference between a civil servant (Beamtin) in a federal ministry and a judge (Richterin)?
In the exam (German)
Was unterscheidet eine Beamtin in einem Bundesministerium von einer Richterin?
- aThe civil servant is elected by the people every five years; the judge is chosen by the National Council.Die Beamtin wird alle fünf Jahre vom Volk gewählt; die Richterin wird vom Nationalrat bestimmt.
- bThe civil servant may decide without a law if she thinks it makes sense; the judge may not.Die Beamtin darf ohne Gesetz entscheiden, wenn es ihr sinnvoll erscheint; die Richterin nicht.
- cWhen giving judgments, the judge must do what the Minister of Justice tells her; the civil servant decides freely.Die Richterin muss bei Urteilen tun, was die Justizministerin vorschreibt; die Beamtin entscheidet frei.
- dThe civil servant is bound by the instructions of her superiors; the judge is free from instructions when giving judgments.Die Beamtin ist an Weisungen ihrer Vorgesetzten gebunden; die Richterin ist bei Urteilen weisungsfrei.Correct answer
Why?
The administration is organised as a hierarchy: a minister is at the head of a ministry, and the staff are bound by instructions. Judges, on the other hand, are independent and bound only by the law.
Translated with AI. In the exam the question is in German, as shown above.
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Welches Gericht ist in Österreich die höchste Instanz in Zivil- und Strafsachen, zum Beispiel bei einem Streit um einen Vertrag oder bei einem Diebstahl? — Der Oberste Gerichtshof
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Frau S. beginnt in Österreich, als Vollzeit-Angestellte in einer Firma zu arbeiten. Was stimmt über ihre Sozialversicherung? — Sie ist durch ihre Arbeit automatisch versichert (Pflichtversicherung). · Ein Teil der Beiträge wird von ihrem Lohn abgezogen, einen anderen Teil zahlt der Arbeitgeber.
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In Austria, who negotiates the collective agreements (Kollektivverträge) that set, for example, the minimum wages in a sector?Correct answer:The trade unions and the employers' representatives
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Source
Our own practice questions on the content of the official learning material “Mein Österreich” and the federal states’ learning materials. They are not the real exam questions – those are not published – and we have not copied wording from the materials. Every question was answered a second time, independently, and checked against public sources. The English translation and the explanations were made with AI; in the exam the questions are asked in German. Not an official service: no connection with the Federal Ministry of the Interior or the offices of the state governments.
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