Political Power, State Structures, Regimes, and Elections
Elements of Political Power
Political power is composed of three elements: strength, influence, and authority.
Strength (Coercion)
We speak about strength or coercion when there is a capacity to deny or limit access to specific goods or opportunities to others. This is what happens when political institutions arrest, evict, imprison, or sanction somebody, or threaten to do so.
Influence
Influence refers to those cases in which political power resides in its capacity to convince people about the patterns
Read MoreUnderstanding Swiss Political Parties and Direct Democracy
They are subject to federal legislative referendum and general federal resolutions passed by the Assembly. They are also subject to referendum on some international treaties. In any case, it seems the general scope of the provisions is the decisive factor for submission to a referendum. Between 1850 and 1880, some cantons in their constitutions introduced the so-called right of cancellation, whereby a certain number of citizens are entitled to request the resignation of members of the Cantonal Parliament
Read MoreSpain’s Administrative Divisions: Municipalities & Regions
Spain’s Territorial Organization
Constitutional Framework
According to the Spanish Constitution, the national territory is organized into municipalities, provinces, and Autonomous Communities. Municipalities and provinces are long-standing administrative units.
Municipal Administration
Municipalities represent the most basic administrative and territorial units of the State. A municipality is governed by its local administration (City Council), positioned to address local issues effectively and promptly.
Read MoreUnderstanding and Preventing Water Pollution
Understanding Water Pollution
Water pollution occurs when harmful substances contaminate a body of water, such as a river, lake, ocean, or groundwater. This contamination can degrade water quality, making it toxic to humans and the environment.
Types of Water Pollution
- Industrial Waste: Discharge of chemicals, heavy metals, and other pollutants from factories.
- Agricultural Runoff: Fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste that wash into waterways.
- Sewage and Wastewater: Untreated or poorly treated sewage
Legislative Process and Government Control Mechanisms
As is customary in other political systems, most legislative activity is due to government initiatives (draft laws). However, the initiatives of parliamentary groups from the assemblies of autonomous communities and citizens (bills) have increased in recent legislatures, although the vast majority have not been successful.
Government Control Function
Government action can be controlled through different mechanisms, ranging from information requests to oral and written questions, summonses, and appearances
Read MoreUnderstanding the Powers and Organization of CCAA
Item 29
Art. EC 148 enumerates the powers of the CCAA, stating they are capable of self-organization and that government bodies have the power to alter municipal boundaries.
Organization of Core Institutions:
The organization is very similar to each other and to the state, because all organizations have taken minimal art. 152 EC. There must be a representative assembly in accordance with the basis of proportional representation, a Governing Council to assume executive and administrative functions,
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