This article allowed the bypassing of the Reichstag and undermined the constitution and democracy itself with Snyder describing it as a perfect opening wedge for weapons to harm the republic and it was under this constitution that Hitler was allowed to become a legal dictator. Freydrich feels it was not the fault of the constitution itself but troubles stemmed from the society it was representing as it was in the hands of people who were neither mentally or physically prepared for self government. The aspect of proportional representation was also a weakness in the nature of Weimar democracy as it led to the inability to form and maintain coalitions (Bracher) and a difficulty to make decisions as small parties had an equal impact. There were 19 chancellors in 9 years representing the weakness of the coalitions. .
The successes of the democracy included the equality of all before the law, especially women who began to enter the workforce and by 1935 they compiled 35% of the workforce. It also saw the upsurge of a revival of culture as a result of the freedom experienced in the democracy, including the Bauhaus School of Architecture and the flourishing of provocative theatre and cabaret. Scientists such as Einstein and directors such as Fritz Lang were also born out of the democracy. .
Failures, however, continued as a result of political threats from both right and left wing extremists. The 1919 Spartakist uprising of the left wing was an attempt to overthrow democracy but was suppressed by the Freikorps after the Ebert-Groener Pact sustained the army support in exchange for left wing protection. However, later in 1920 the Kapp Putch, which was a right wing attempt to overthrow the democracy, revealed the armys refusal to help with General von Seekt saying Reichswahr does not fire on Reichswahr. This illuminated the power and influence of the army within the democracy and their later conspiracy along with the elite and money from backers such as Thyssan and Ford would ultimately bring down democracy.