Political Systems and Administrative Divisions
DEMOCRATIC SYSTEMS: People choose politicians freely during elections. The state is based on the rule of law (estado de derecho). Democratic states follow the principle of separation of powers: Legislative Power (it makes and passes laws), Executive Power (it rules national policy and applies the law), and Judicial Power (it guarantees that people follow the law). In every democratic nation, there is a head of state (jefe de estado). Depending on how this person reaches the charge, a state can be:
A Republic: The President is chosen by elections and is the head of state. Their power and roles depend on the constitution of each state. There is usually a Prime Minister that represents the President in the parliament.
A Parliamentary Monarchy: An hereditary monarch carries out the role of head of state, but in this case, it is just a ceremonial and representative figurehead.
AUTHORITARIAN SYSTEMS: The citizens cannot freely choose their government and they have limited freedoms. Authoritarian systems can be:
Dictatorship: One political party, one person, or a military commander controls all the power.
Theocracy: The government is in religious authorities’ hands (e.g., “Vatican”).
Depending on who has the power, an authoritarian system can be:
A Republic: The president is a dictator (e.g., “North Korea”).
A Monarchy: The monarch is a dictator (he/she has all the power) (e.g., “Morocco”).
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
This is the way states organize their territories. There are three main types of nations:
Centralized States: All the powers of state have their seat at the capital of the nation. Every policy is controlled from the central government, and it takes the decisions that affect the territory equally (e.g., “France”).
Federal States: The government and the states share the control of the nation. The government controls powers such as foreign policy or defense, and the control of the rest of the powers (e.g., health system, education, culture, social system, etc.) is shared between federal states (with their own institutions) and the government (e.g., “Germany”).
Decentralized States: The central government and territories share the control of different powers. The central government makes laws, but territories carry out the powers shared with the central government. Spain is an example of this type of government. Foreign policy or national defense depends on the central government, but the Comunidades Autónomas manage the education policy, health system, and so on.
INSTITUTIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
There are four political institutions that hold the executive and legislative power of the EU:
European Council: Is made up of the heads of state or governments of EU members. It defines the EU’s overall political direction and priorities. It is seated in Brussels, Belgium.
Council of Europe: Is made up of ministers from each country according to the subjects to be debated. It passes European laws and budgets. It is seated in Strasbourg, France.
European Commission: Is made up of a president and 28 commissioners (one per country) that act as ministers. It proposes EU legislation, manages the budget, and represents the EU abroad. It is seated in Brussels and Luxembourg.
European Parliament: Is made up of representatives elected by people in each country. It passes laws and budgets with the Council of Europe. It has two chambers: Strasbourg and Brussels.
In 1957, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed the Treaty of Rome, creating the European Economic Community (EEC). In 1992, the Treaty of Maastricht changed the EEC into the European Union (EU).
POLITICAL SYSTEM IN SPAIN
The Spanish Constitution was approved on the 6th of December 1978. It is the fundamental law and defines the political system in Spain. These are the basic principles of our constitution:
Fundamental Rights and Freedoms: All citizens have the rights of human dignity, freedom, legal equality, and human rights.
Separation of Powers: Independent branches of power (legislative, executive, and judicial).
National Sovereignty: The power comes from the people. Citizens decide the politicians who are going to rule the nation.
Rule of Law: The state is subject to laws and norms as well as the citizens. Any new law cannot depend on any other law upon the Constitution.
Spain is a parliamentary monarchy, which means that there is a king who is under the control of parliament (Cortes Generales) and acts as a figurehead. The king is the Head of State, and the President rules the nation with ministers and parliament.
POWERS OF STATE ORGANIZATION
Legislative Power:
- Parliament: Develops laws proposed by the government, controls the government’s actions.
- Congress: Deputies (350 members of the congress).
- Senate: Senators (members of the senate).
Congress in Madrid: Deputies belong to different political parties. They can approve or veto laws. The number of deputies each political party has in congress depends on the number of votes they receive in general elections every four years.
Senate of Spain: Senators represent the Autonomous Communities. Senators ensure that the Autonomous Communities follow the Constitution.
Executive Power:
- Government: Organizes the country. The persons in the party that gets the most votes form the government and become:
- President: The President is the head of the government. The President chooses the ministers who will help him/her to rule the nation.
- Ministers: Each minister is responsible for one area of organization. The ministers present plans to Parliament (propose ideas/laws), and Parliament votes to approve these plans or not.
Judicial Power: Courts of justice monitor if laws follow the Constitution and guarantee justice for Spain’s citizens. Two types of courts:
- The Constitutional Court: Decides if laws follow the Constitution.
- The Supreme Court: Accepts or rejects sentences approved in lower courts.
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS OF SPAIN
Three types of divisions:
Autonomous Communities: Spain is divided into 17 Autonomous Communities and 2 Autonomous Cities (“Ceuta and Melilla”). These Autonomous Communities are governed by their Statutes of Autonomy (it defines their names, boundaries, symbols, and language). They are ruled by a Junta, Generalitat, etc. The state transferred several powers to their regional governments: urban planning, housing, media, transport, agriculture and livestock, environmental protection, health, and education.
Provinces: Spain has 50 provinces that are ruled by a Diputación in communities with more than one province. País Vasco and Navarra are ruled by a Diputación Foral, in Islas Baleares by a Consejo, and in Islas Canarias by a Cabildo.
Municipalities: They are the most basic territorial and administrative units of the state. Ruled by a city hall (Ayuntamiento) made up of the mayor (alcalde) and councilors (concejales). It is responsible for the city’s basic services.
REGIONAL IMBALANCES AND COOPERATION
Demographic differences: Large concentration of population in coastal communities and Inland regions: it is almost depopulated, except the Community of Madrid. Instruments used in regional policy. Inter-territorial:Compensation Fund (finances investments to promote employment and growth in communities with lower economic level) and Complementary Fund (investors companies in poorest regions are granted). European Structural Funds: are programmed by periods for different purposes. European Regional Development fund and European Social Fund.