본 논문은 독일과 한국 지방선거의 특징과 정치적 의미를 살펴보는데 목적이 있다. 이를 위해서 먼저 두 나라의 지방자치제도와 선거제도를 고찰한 후에, 지방선거결과를 투표참여와 정당지지도로 나누어 분석하였으며, 마지막으로 지방선거가 가지는 정치적 의미를 파악해보았다. 독일 지방자치제도는 주(州)에 따라 다양한 형태를 띠고 있으며, 모든 주(州)가 비례대표제를 채택하고 있다. 비례대표제는 인물본위의 비례제와 순수비례대표제, 그리고 폐쇄형 비례대표제와 개방형 비례대표제로 구분된다. 한국은 기관분리형 지방자치체계를 취하고 있으며, 획일적인 다수비례대표제를 기본으로 6개의 지방선거가 같은 날 전국에서 동시에 치러진다. 연구결과 지방선거의 투표참여율은 최근 독일과 한국 모두 급격하게 하락하는 추세이며, 지방선거에서 낮은 투표참여는 지방자치에 대한 낮은 정치 효능감을 반영한 것으로 보인다. 투표율 역시 지역적 편차가 심하게 나타나고 있다. 독일은 지방선거, 연방선거나 주(州)선거에서의 정당지지도, 한국은 지방선거, 대통령선거와 국회의원선거에서 나타나는 정당지지도가 다르게 나타는 것으로 분석되었다. 독일의 경우 지방선거에서 정당지지도는 중앙정부나 주정부에 대한 견제심리가 작용하고 있다는 것을 보여주는 반면에, 한국은 지방선거가 정권에 대한 중간평가, 여소야대의 견제 등 지역성을 벗어나 전국적인 수준으로 이루어지고 있음을 의미한다.

This study has as its purpose the exploration of the characteristics and political import of the local election in Germany and Korea. The trend for both Germany and Korea is that the rate of participation in voting in local election is rapidly declining, and the low participation by voting in local election seems to reflect low political efficacy for local self governing. Also, in terms of voting rate, the local deviation appears sharply. It has been analyzed that for Germany, the political party's approval rating in local election, Bundestag election(federal), or Land election(state) appears differently. For Korea, the political party's approval rating in local election, presidential election, and national assembly election appears differently. For Germany, the political party's approval rating in local election shows that a psychology of keeping in check the central or local government operates, but for Korea, it means that local election is accomplished at the countrywide level by moving beyond regionality such as by providing an intermediate evaluation of the political power and keeping in check of the small ruling party and large opposition party.

This study has as its purpose the exploration of the characteristics and political import of the local election in Germany and Korea. The trend for both Germany and Korea is that the rate of participation in voting in local election is rapidly declining, and the low participation by voting in local election seems to reflect low political efficacy for local self governing. Also, in terms of voting rate, the local deviation appears sharply. It has been analyzed that for Germany, the political party's approval rating in local election, Bundestag election(federal), or Land election(state) appears differently. For Korea, the political party's approval rating in local election, presidential election, and national assembly election appears differently. For Germany, the political party's approval rating in local election shows that a psychology of keeping in check the central or local government operates, but for Korea, it means that local election is accomplished at the countrywide level by moving beyond regionality such as by providing an intermediate evaluation of the political power and keeping in check of the small ruling party and large opposition party.

election, party, turnout, Germany, local government