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Since the unification of Germany in 1990, East Germans have largely approximated the characteristics of the 'happiness profile' — but not the overall levels of happiness – of West Germans. Current patterns of subjective well-being among East Germans raise concerns about the contingency of identification with the democratic system of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG); the further entrenchment of financial jealousies between East and West Germany; and the development of a 'happiness gap' between the richest and poorest in East German society. A 'materialist pessimist' outlook in both West and East Germany may best be explained by cultural factors.

The 'presidentialisation' of recent federal elections has made the selection and performance of the 'chancellor-candidates' for the SPD and CDU/CSU an increasingly important factor in German electoral politics. In the 2002 election, the chancellor-candidates assumed an unusually prominent role as their leadership and media skills were tested by the key events of the campaign, in particular the 'flood of the century' (Jahrhundertflut) and the Iraq question. This article explores the leadership rate from the selection of the chancellor-candidates and their handling of the campaign to the dramatic photo finish and campaign post-mortems. It examines the institutional context in which the campaign strategies were hatched and developed; the profiles and tactics of the two key players: Schröder and Stoiber; and press and public evaluation of their performance. In conclusion, it asks to what extent the 2002 election campaign has changed the perception and role of chancellor-candidates in federal contests. (German Politics / FUB)