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 by members of the Government, authorities, or officials before the House or its committees. Special committees may also be created to study or research a specific question. Additionally, annual debates on the state of the nation allow the opposition to control and criticize government policy or any of its specific aspects.
This type of parliamentary activity has increased over time. This increased use of these instruments of control is related to the possibility offered to the opposition to express and amplify their criticism of the government, given the reception they usually have in the mass media. Along with these mechanisms (known as regular) to control the activity of the Government, the House of Representatives may require political responsibility from the Executive by filing a motion of censure, which must be constructive.
Each senator or congressman should be attached to a parliamentary group, versions of political parties in the House and the true protagonists of parliamentary life, with virtually no personal initiative, to be controlled almost all initiatives by the Speaker of the group: ours is clearly a Parliament of matches in which all activity is controlled by very few parliamentarians.
The Government
Under the Constitution, the Government directs domestic and foreign policy, civil administration, and military and defense of the state, and acts as executive and statutory authority. These functions summarize the different profiles that the action of the government may take: a political profile, a policy profile, and an executive profile, enabling study, while, as a political actor and as a State organ.
The Government consists of the president, vice-presidents (if any), and the ministers. After each renewal of the Congress of Deputies (and when the government loses the confidence of Congress, or has resigned, died, or been disqualified) the king, after consulting the representatives of parliamentary groups, proposes to the Congress of Deputies a candidate for Prime Minister (usually the largest party candidate). The candidate shall submit to Congress his full program, applying the confidence of the House. If he achieves the affirmative vote of an absolute majority of members (if not, after 48 hours there would be a second ballot, which would be gained by a simple majority, and if they fail to be repeated the procedure with different candidates), the King appoints him president.
Government activity and its members are subject to the direction and coordination of the president. It is he who proposes to the King the appointment and dismissal of its members, sets the political agenda, coordinates and directs their activities, calls, sets the agenda and chairs meetings of the Council of Ministers, create, modify and delete the ministerial departments and as the Departments of State, the king proposes the dissolution of the legislature, brought before the House of Representatives the question of confidence, or proposes to the King, following authorization from Congress, the holding of a consultative referendum.
This role has led to the Prime Minister being configured in practice as one member with their own powers and responsibilities. But these powers the president does not prevent the government acting collectively to respond to their political solidarity in the Congress of Deputies, and each of its members enjoy considerable autonomy and respond directly to the activity carried out in the field management. The Council of Ministers, as a body of government, it includes, among other powers, to approve the legislation (Royal Decree-laws and royal decrees, legislation), regulations for development and implementation of laws and the legislative initiative the form of bills, and bill the State Budget.