At the beginning of 2012, Wisconsin and Germany were both suffering from the plight of
compromised figureheads. In the case of Wisconsin, the figurehead is also the
chief executive, whereas in Germany they are distinct offices, so the situation
in Wisconsin was more intractable. Germany’s figurehead office has much less
political power, so any occupant is more dependent on maintaining credibility
and stature.
The full essay is at "Germany's Wulff and Wisconsin's Walker."
