Spain Population Cultures
Spain is a country located in the Southwestern part of Europe. It covers about two hundred thousand square miles with a mixed terrain of lowland areas, coastal plains, high plateaus and mountainous regions.
The country is made up of a population of about forty three million people. Most of its population speaks Spanish which is their official language. Other languages include: Galician, Basque and Catalan-Valencia. It boasts of a very high literacy rate which is over ninety five percent. Its people are a combination of many ethnic groups who speak the languages listed above. The country is made up of a mixture of cultures that stem from the catholic faith. There are a number of traditional festivals that are celebrated annually. These include The Carnival day, San Juan and bull fighting.
The country's main economic force is its service industry, other industries include; agriculture and industry. It has a GDP of 757 billion dollars and a growth rate of about three percent. It has an unemployment rate of thirteen percent which is the highest in the European Union. It mainly exports machinery and consumer items. The countries it trades with include: other European countries like the UK, Germany and Italy. It also exports to Japan and the US. It has a mixed capitalist economy which is the highest among its union counterparts. The country is struggling to adjust its policies towards a solitary currency within the region.
Spain is predominantly Catholic; about ninety four percent of its population belongs to this faith. The rest of the population is made up of Muslims.
The country was a combination of various small states in the eighth century. Initially, the country was made up of separate kingdoms that were predominantly Christian. They were attacked and occupied by Muslims. Christians reclaimed their land and unified to form modern day Spain. The country proceeded to form one of the most powerful empires in the world.
During the fifteenth century, the country did not participate in the industrial evolution. This caused a delay in its economic progress unlike some of its neighboring countries like Germany and England. In the first half of the twentieth century, the country suffered a big blow due to a civil war in the 1930s. However, it was not left sleeping as it has now caught up with its counterparts within the EU.
Looking at a brief history of its government structures; after the devastating civil war in the 1930s, the country was ruled by a dictator called General Franco until his death some thirty-two years ago. Three years after his death, a parliamentary system was established. However, there was a coup attempt right around that time. It did not succeed because the country's military supported the King.
For the next thirteen years, Gonzalez ruled the country. Under his rule, the country joined the European Union, made reforms in its education and health sectors and enforced a number of social programmes. After his rule, Jose Maria took over. He introduced various economic policies that saw growth in the country's economy. Some of them include; privatization, reforming the labor market and increasing competition. The country also involved itself in peacekeeping missions. Some of the countries it assisted were Bosnia and Kosovo. This president served for two terms.
Prime Minister Rodriguez served the last term up to today. This is because the former prime minister's party became infamous after a bomb attack in the country's capital. (World Online Education, 2007)
Government structure
The country follows a parliamentary Monarchy. This means that it is headed by a King who also commands the armed forces. The Crown is handed down from generation to generation. The first-born ought to be made king; males take priority over females. The King not answerable to anyone and may use his powers as described in the country's constitution. Some of the functions of the King include; declaring war or peace, starting and dissolving parliament, calling elections, sanctioning the law, accenting to international alliances, granting pardons, accrediting ambassadors, calling a referendum, awarding distinctions and honors, occasionally conducting meetings among ministers, commanding the armed forces and appointing or dismissing government members.
There are three main arms of parliament. These include:
The Executive
The Chief of State is the King who currently is Juan Carlos. He is followed in chain of command by his heir the prince.
The President of the Government tops in seniority followed by the First Vice President then the second Vice president who also has a ministerial post. The president is proposed by the King but he is elected by members of parliament after elections (these are done after every five years). The vice president is nominated by the president and elected by the King.
Parliamentary seats are divided into two categories i.e. the Congress of Deputies and the Senate. There are two councils within parliament; first the council of ministers then the council of State. The latter deals with election results, while the former deals with various functions depending on their portfolio.
The Legislative branch
This consists of the National Assembly and the Senate. The National Assembly has two hundred and fifty nine seats. Two hundred and eight are elected by the electorate while the remaining number is appointed by regional members of parliament. While the Senate is made up three hundred and fifty seats all of whom are elected by the electorate and they serve for four years. These members must belong to a given party. Some of the popular parties include; the People's party (PP), The Spanish Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE) which is the party that led the current president into power.
The votes of congress are the most important when approving law because they must pass through this arm of the legislature. The senate may make some amendments to laws although these can be neglected by the National Assembly.
The Judiciary
The Supreme Court is the most senior court in the land. It is headed by a Chairperson who also chairs the General Council of the Judiciary Power. This council is the governing body of the Judiciary.
Under the latter mentioned systems, there are courts that vary according the kind of cases being handled. They are presided over by magistrates and judges.
It is also worth mentioning that the country has autonomous governments which are regionally based. Power has been devolved to the autonomies but the Central government still holds precedence. (The US Immigration Department, 2007)
Comparison between the Spanish and American systems of government
The American system of government is similar to the Spanish system in a number of ways: the US has a number of states that have their own laws and cultures. This is similar to the autonomous communities in Spain which have these same powers. There is an element of Federalism in Spain and this is also present in the US.
There are two houses in the Spanish Parliamentary system while the US also has two houses. It should be noted however, that the functions and methods of election are different for the two countries.
The US does not have a monarch while Spain does. This brings about a very different angle to laws because the Monarch may come into parliament and disapprove a law or decision. Since the King is not answerable to anyone, then the country is subject to his will. In the US, the head of state is the President who is answerable to other members of the executive. He cannot simply impose his will as he has to pass through a number of bodies.
Both countries involve the electorate in the selection of their leaders. Members of parliament must pass through a democratic process. In Spain, there are a number of appointed members but they are among the minority.
What makes up a democracy
In my view, democracy is the right retained by citizens to make decisions concerning maters that affect their lives. This can be done either directly or through representation.
In a true democracy, the people should posses the highest form of power. Laws should be passed by approval from the majority. Leaders should be elected by the people through a fair election. These elections should be conducted by a neutral party that will ensure equality for all. Those in power must not continue ruling without approval from the citizens of the land and laws should be passed only when they represent the people's point of view. (Morislav, 2005)
A true democracy must acknowledge and respect the fact that every citizen has a basic human right. In this respect, the government must respect a citizen's right to associate freely, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of expression and the freedom to criticize their leaders.
Members of a democratic society have the right to know the goings on in their country, they ought to be able to stand for any civic or parliamentary post within their country or vote for a leader of their choice. Such governments must not discriminate women or other groups from participating in government. Citizens have a right to choose whatever political party they prefer and to involve themselves in campaigns.
Lastly, the rule of law must apply in a democratic state. This means that no one can take away another's right and be left unpunished. The law keeps powers of government under check and no one should think they are above the law including the head of state. Citizens in a democratic state should not use their powers within their offices to infringe others. Imprisonment, torture or other unfair treatments have no place in democracy.
Why Spain is democratic
Currently, Spain is democratic; this is because it has elections after every four years. This means that citizens can eliminate a leader who they feel unsatisfied with. In addition, majority of the members of parliament are elected by the people.
Also, since Spain has one of the most powerful economies in the EU, this means that it must be having policies that benefit the common man. For such policies to be put in place then the country must be democratic. Lastly, the country believes in zero tolerance against terrorism and has even participated in peacekeeping missions. This is indeed a true sign of democracy.
It is worth noting, that the country had some black spots in its history. In the year 1975, the country was ruled by a dictator and did not show any signs of a democratic state. But after his death, the country was ruled by a liberal Monarch who established various policies that contributed to the country's economic growth. In the year 1981, the prime minister resigned and there was an attempted coup a short while later. (Voros, 1981) Luckily, those dark days have been forgotten and the country's decisions now lie with the people.
Conclusion
Spain has come a long way from the early twentieth century authoritarian regime, to the late twentieth century democratic regime, an attempted coup in the 80's to a smooth political transition in the years after 2000.
Despite these political upheavals, the country has not been left behind economically as it has tried its best to catch up with its neighboring countries. This goes to show that a country can pick up the pieces as long as the political will is there.
Reference
World Online Education (2007): Spain Online Business Education, Economy, Politics, Culture, Religion, and Media; retrieved from http://worldonlineeducation.com/: accessed on 17th November
The US Immigration Department (2007): Spain government; retrieved from http://www.photius.com/wfb1999/spain/spain_government.html; accessed on 17th November
Morislav Kolar (2005): What is democracy? Retrieved from; http://www.whatisdemocracy.net/definition_of_democracy.html accessed on 17th November
Voros, C. (1981): Spain; Democracy and the Military, retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/ accessed on 17th November.
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