Spain’s Political and Social Evolution: Provinces to Autonomy
Provincial Administration
Provinces are areas formed by the amalgamation of several municipalities. The province is a territorial division and, at the same time, a local entity. The provincial division of the Spanish territory is an institution with a long tradition. Currently, it has three basic functions:
- Serve as the state electoral boundaries.
- Serve as the territorial division of the peripheral administration of the central state, represented by the figure of Government Sub-delegate.
- Being a senior local authority whose function is precisely to cooperate with the municipalities.
Thus, the members of the county council are chosen from the elected council, and the chairman of the county council is chosen by the elected deputies. The provincial government is in charge of the county councils.
The 1978 Constitution and the Autonomous Communities
In December 1978, a new constitution was ratified by referendum. Thus, the Spanish state, which was held in a centralized form of organization, adopted a decentralized one. According to Article 2 of the constitution, provinces with common historical, cultural, and economic characteristics could become autonomous. Between 1979 and 1983, the 17 current autonomous communities were organized, seven of which have a single province.
Statutes of Autonomy
The Statutes of Autonomy list the institutions, powers, and rules governing each autonomous community and receiving the necessary financial resources to exercise them. Once drafted, the statute must first be approved by a majority in their territory and then elevated to the courts. Once approved, the King sanctions the statute, and it becomes law.
Regional powers may be full or shared with the state:
- Full powers include the organization of their institutions of self-government, urban planning, and housing.
- Shared responsibilities include road management and labor law.
Regional Government Institutions
The autonomous self-government or institution is composed of:
- An assembly or parliament in which laws are discussed and passed, the action of the autonomous government is controlled, the president is elected, and budgets are approved.
- The president represents regional autonomy and shapes and directs the government or council.
- The government executes and enforces the laws passed by parliament and those on which it shares jurisdiction with the state. The government of the autonomous region is formed by the president and directors.
Transformation of Spanish Society
At the end of the 1950s, the economy and social organization of Spain were still based mainly on agricultural activities and livestock. After a period of industrialization and modernization of much of the country, today Spain is a good example of a post-industrial society. Parallel to this economic transformation has been a marked change in the location of the population. This new situation has brought a cultural shift reflected in the forms of work and life.
Changes in Family Structure
In recent decades, the traditional extended family (grandparents, parents, and children) has given way to the nuclear family (consisting only of parents and children). Today, other family models are also widespread, such as single-parent families (formed by the father or mother with children) or persons living alone. As a result of migration in Spain, marriages and domestic partnerships between persons of different nationalities have increased.