Digitalization in the German Federal System: Progress at a Snail’s Pace?

Abstract Germany’s performance in the digitalization of public services has remained modest. The country’s federal structures, featuring neatly entangled responsibilities, have often been considered a major obstacle to the progress with digitalization. Exploring the Online Access Act, this analysis reveals that Germany has adopted a complex coordination procedure to digitalize its public services. This case is contrasted with the digital pact in school policy, by which the federal government co-finances the digitalization of schools and aims to interfere into exclusive Länder jurisdictions. The chapter argues that while digitalization has changed the federal order gradually, federalism is only one out of several interplaying factors decelerating the pace of digitalization. Its effects should also be assessed in the light of the legalistic administrative culture, the fragmented cabinet organization, and other detrimental factors.