Spanish Sociopolitical Glossary
A
Africanist
Spanish military known for their participation in colonial wars in Morocco.
Anarchism
A radical movement promoting individual autonomy and opposing mandatory government or authority. It advocates for self-governance and voluntary associations based on free contracts between individuals.
C
Capitalism
An economic system where production and ownership stem from private and exclusive ownership by shareholders. Ownership and usufruct belong to those who purchased or invested capital, regardless of the collective work involved.
Cheka (The)
The first Soviet secret police organization, established in 1917 to suppress counter-revolutionary activities.
Cold War
A 20th-century political, ideological, economic, technological, and military conflict between capitalist and communist blocs led by the U.S. and the Soviet Union, respectively.
Communism
A political movement aiming to establish a classless society based on social ownership of production means, abolishing private property and ultimately leading to the abolition of the state.
Concordat
An agreement on church affairs between a country’s government and the Holy See.
Conspiracy
A secret plan by a group to overthrow a political regime.
Council
A meeting of religious leaders, typically in the Catholic or Orthodox Church, to discuss and decide on matters of doctrine and discipline.
D
Democracy
A political regime where all citizens can hold office and participate in elections.
Dictatorship
A government where power is concentrated in a single individual (the dictator), characterized by a lack of separation of powers and arbitrary control.
F
Fascism
A totalitarian and nationalist political movement created in Italy by Mussolini.
L
Lockout (The)
Also known as a shutdown, it’s a measure where an employer ceases business activities, often to resist worker demands or influence public policy.
N
Needless Normal
A call for improved working conditions for workers.
P
Popular Front
Electoral coalitions between democratic and anti-fascist parties, aiming to unite workers and progressive bourgeois forces under a program of social and labor reform while defending the democratic system.
Prevarication
Making a decision knowing it violates the law.
S
Suffrage
The right to vote for public office.
Summary Procedure
A judicial process where different stages are combined into a single act, often used in situations of armed conflict or by totalitarian regimes to suppress opposition.
T
Totalitarian Ideologies
Political ideologies and regimes where freedom is severely restricted, and the state holds absolute power.
Trench
A ditch dug in the ground to protect soldiers from enemy fire.
U
Union
An organization of workers defending and promoting their social, economic, and professional interests. Unions negotiate wages and working conditions with employers.
Unions (Yellows)
Unions serving the interests of employers rather than workers.
W
Wildcats
Strikes by all workers without minimum services, sometimes involving attacks on police and weapon factories.