This thesis investigates the perceived second-class citizenship among East Germans after German reunification in 1990 in scrutinizing the relationship between societal exclusion and sources of material discontent. Further, it explores the effect of societal exclusion on support for the national government. It finds evidence to suggest that meaningful societal inclusion requires material ability to participate and that this relationship is more pronounced among East Germans. However, societal exclusion was not found to impede governmental support among East Germans.