German students launch first state-level coalition trackers for election transparency
Election Campaigns Mean Promises—But What Happens After?
Posters, podiums, party rallies—everywhere, politicians vie for votes with bold pledges. But once the ballots are counted, what becomes of those promises? In March, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate will elect new state parliaments, and before a fresh wave of campaign vows begins, students at the University of Leipzig have taken stock of past commitments. To do so, they developed Germany's first coalition trackers at the state level—a tool that makes election promises measurable.
Hundreds of Pages, Line by Line
Together with SWR Data Lab, the data journalism team at Southwest German Broadcasting (SWR), nine students meticulously analyzed the coalition agreements of the state governments in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. A coalition agreement is a government's written roadmap: What do we aim to achieve in the coming years? In Baden-Württemberg's pact, the team identified 433 concrete initiatives and evaluated each one.
"It wasn't as straightforward as it might sound," says student Julia Mayer. "Many parts of these agreements are vaguely worded. We had to establish clear criteria to ensure comparability. In the end, we created a detailed categorization system—but even then, there were borderline cases that sparked intense debate."
The research was painstaking. Planned rail lines, new farming regulations, school digitization projects—for every goal, the team sought evidence. When none was found, they directly queried the relevant ministries. Ultimately, each initiative was assigned to one of seven categories, ranging from "fully implemented" to "failed."
Journalism as a Tool for Democracy
According to their findings, a majority of Baden-Württemberg's initiatives were fulfilled—though success varied by sector. In society and democracy, 74% of goals were fully achieved, while in housing and construction, only 40% met the mark. The interactive tool is now available on SWR's website, allowing users to explore each initiative—complete with sources and assessments—or let a randomizer surprise them. The tracker for Rhineland-Palatinate will follow on March 5.
Prof. Dr. Markus Beiler, head of the master's program at the University of Leipzig, underscores the project's significance: "At a time when the world is awash in disinformation, the coalition tracker provides orientation and a way to scrutinize political action more closely. This highlights journalism's vital role in safeguarding our democracy." The project demonstrates how data-driven journalism can bring transparency to political processes.
For more information, visit: *https://www.swr.de/regierungscheck*
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