Understanding the Federal State: Origins, Concepts, and Structure
The Federal State
Origin and Concept
The federal state first appeared with the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Until then, there were only two types of states: the unitary state and the confederacy. The federal state is an intermediate form between the two. Later, the federal model was extended to Latin American states (Mexico, Argentina, Brazil), Switzerland (1848), and Germany (1871).
Historically, the federal government can arise in two ways:
- As a result of a legal and political relationship between previously
Understanding Democracy: Principles, History, and Participation
Democracy: Principles and Organization
Democracy is a system of political organization where power resides with the people, collectively decided. To regulate the coexistence of societies, it’s necessary to adopt an organized set of principles, rules, or standards, which we call the system of political organization. Democracy also implies a form of coexistence, extending to all fields of social life, and ensures various forms of participation and institutions open to the public.
History of Democracy
In
Read MorePolitical Participation in Democratic Regimes
After the Second World War, with the exception of Spain, democratic regimes were introduced in Europe. This type of government is based on the recognition of universal suffrage and a parliament, with political activity articulated by political parties. This establishes the party as an intermediary between the population, not directly involved in political affairs, and the government of a nation. Intermediation mechanisms are defined as “forms of representation” of citizens. These forms of representation
Read MoreSpain’s 1917 Crisis: Military, Political, and Social Unrest
The Crisis of 1917 in Spain
Military Crisis
The military crisis centered around the defensa juntas. The army, a fundamental power for maintaining the monarchy, began to question the system and intervene in political life. The causes included governmental instability, a new law establishing merit-based promotions (benefiting the Moroccan Army), and low wages due to inflation.
This led to the formation of the defense juntas, associations that defended the economic and professional interests of the military.
Read MoreElectoral Systems: Key Elements and Impact
The main elements of an electoral system are:
- The size of the assembly (the number of seats). Its incidence is relativized by the magnitude of the districts in which those seats are distributed among parties.
- Constituency Size (number of seats to be allocated within it). The precinct is the basic unit on which the operation proceeds to transform votes into seats. It is the element of the electoral system that has a greater impact on proportionality, conditioning it to a greater extent than other elements
Understanding the Electoral Process: Voting Explained
ITEM 8: The Vote The vote is the central moment of any electoral process. The electoral legislature establishes a range of security measures and precautions for use by each party to avoid mistakes or electoral fraud. If fraud occurs, the LOREG has established mechanisms to address the situation, and the results reflect the will of the electorate.
In Art. 23 EC, the vote is seen as a right for which nobody is obliged to vote; the elector may choose to vote or abstain. Among the votes cast, we can
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