▁ ▁Found ing ▁After ▁the ▁draft ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁Constitution ▁of ▁Otto ▁von ▁B ism ar ck , ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁design ▁by ▁L oth ar ▁Buch er , ▁the ▁Reich stag ▁became ▁the ▁official ▁Parliament ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁German ▁Confeder ation . ▁It ▁was ▁specifically ▁designed ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁counter weight ▁to ▁the ▁mon archy ▁and ▁special ▁interests . ▁While ▁the ▁new ▁Reich stag ▁was ▁significantly ▁we aker ▁than ▁other ▁federal ▁institutions , ▁in ▁the ▁Constitution ▁it ▁did ▁have ▁significant ▁powers . ▁In ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁di ets ▁of ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Member ▁States ▁of ▁Germany , ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁elected ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁census ▁or ▁land holder ▁census ▁( ), ▁but ▁according ▁to ▁progress ive ▁general , ▁equal ▁and ▁secret ▁universal ▁suff rage ▁for ▁men ▁above ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 5 . ▁ ▁E lections ▁of ▁February , ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁Constitution , ▁a ▁constitu ent ▁parliament ▁was ▁elected ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁universal ▁suff rage ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁February ▁ 1 8 6 7 . ▁The ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁German ▁Confeder ation ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁ 2 9 7 ▁elect oral ▁districts , ▁where ▁an ▁absolute ▁majority ▁vote ▁directly ▁elected ▁a ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament . ▁If ▁no ▁candidate ▁reached ▁an ▁absolute ▁majority ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁ball ot , ▁a ▁run off ▁between ▁the ▁top ▁two ▁candidates ▁was ▁conducted . ▁Despite ▁considerable ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁German ▁Confeder ation , ▁especially ▁in ▁areas ▁that ▁Pr uss ia