Parliament and government are connected but distinct.
The word Bundestagswahl names the body being elected: the Bundestag. It is the representative parliament at federal level and consists of elected members. Voters determine its personal and party composition under electoral law.
Campaigns often focus on possible Chancellors. This can create the impression of a direct election to that office. The ballot does not award the chancellorship directly, however. Article 63 provides for election by the Bundestag.
The other three answers
The three distractors name other offices or another level of government.
of the Federal Chancellor.
The Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag. A federal election influences that decision politically but is not itself the chancellorial election.
of the state parliaments.
State parliaments are chosen through their respective state parliamentary elections. The Bundestag election concerns the federal level instead.
of the Federal President.
The Federal President is elected by the Federal Convention. That special body is not the same as the electorate in a Bundestag election.
One election result does not automatically fill every state office.
The largest party does not automatically receive the chancellorship simply because it ranks first. The constitutional election procedure in the Bundestag is decisive. Alliances and majority formation can play an important role.
Bundestag, state parliament and Federal Convention are different terms. First identify which body the question names and who elects it. This is more reliable than recalling a familiar campaign face.
Article 38 · Basic Law ↗Federal election: parliament. Chancellor’s election: within parliament.
The word Bundestag points to “parliament for Germany”. The two leading offices have separate election procedures.
Three words for this question
- die Volksvertretungrepresentative parliament
- An elected body whose members provide political representation.
- die Bundesebenefederal level
- The national level, distinct from states and municipalities.
- die Regierungsbildunggovernment formation
- The process through which a new government is formed.