In a democracy, all state authority is derived from the people. Through elections, it is exercised by the people.In accordance with Article 20 (2) of the Basic Law, all state authority is derived from the people. It is exercised by the people through elections and other votes and through specific legislative, executive and judicial bodies.
The democratic legitimacy necessary for the specific legislative, executive and judicial bodies to exercise state authority on behalf of the people is given to them, directly or indirectly, through elections.
In the representative democracy established by the Basic Law, democratic legitimacy is assigned by the people through direct parliamentary elections. In accordance with Article 39 (1) of the Basic Law, the German Bundestag is elected for four years.