SUBJECT INFORMATION SHEET Subject Details Name

GUÍA DOCENTE CURSO 2012‐13 FACULTAD DE DERECHO SUBJECT INFORMATION SHEET
Subject Details
Name
Political System and Politics in Spain.
Degree
Degree in International Relations and Translating and Interpreting.
Course
Second year
Character
Four months
ECTS Credits
3
Department
Shared Disciplines
Area
Political Science and Government Studies
Lecturers
José María Marco Tobarra
Lecturer Details1
Lecturer
José María Marco Tobarra
Group
A
E-mail
j.mmarco@telefonica.net
Telephone
+34 91 548 44 07 Ext.: 4216
Office
D. 502
Tutorial Times
This shall be announced on the first day of class
SPECIFIC SUBJECT DETAILS
Contribution to the Professional Profile of the Degree
The subject “Political System and Politics in Spain” aims to facilitate
students’ understanding of the Spanish political system. In this respect, the
course offers them an introduction to government institutions, in particular the
Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet, Parliament, the judicial system and
various regional government bodies. The course also focuses on the role of
parties and interest groups, analysing the factors that influence election results
and the role that international politics plays within the realm of Spanish politics.
Competences to Be Developed2
General Competences
Instrumental
Capacity to work within an international context
Interpersonal
Capacity for criticism and self-criticism
Systemic
Capacity to detect problems that derive from cultural differences.
Competences Specific to the Subject
Conceptual (knowledge)
Understanding the behaviour of members of the political system.
Procedural (know-how)
Identifying members of the political system.
Professional (know-how)
Capacity to work within an international context.
THEMATIC AREAS AND CONTENTS3
Contents – Thematic Areas
AREA 1:
Theme 1: Continuity, Diversity and Consensus in Spanish Politics.
1.1 Continuity, Diversity and Consensus in Spanish Politics
1.2 Factors of Continuity: The Transition
1.3 Diversity As a Political Factor.
1.4 The Constitution of 1978
1.5 The Head of State and the Monarchy
Theme 2: Government Institutions.
2.1 Parliament: El Congreso and El Senado
2.2 The Executive: The Prime Minister’s Office and Central Government
2.3 The Judicial System and the Constitutional Court
2.4 The Regional Governments
2.5 The Municipalities
Theme 3: Parties, Elections and Interest Groups.
3.1 The Parties
3.2 Elections
3.3 Interest Groups
Theme 4: Spain and International Institutions
4.1 Spain in the EU
4. 2. Spain in the UNO
4.3. Spain in NATO and Other International Institutions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES
Basic Bibliography
Textbooks
Alcántara, Manuel and Antonia Martínez (eds.), Política y Gobierno en España, Valencia,
Tirant lo Blanch, 2001.
Gunther, Richard, José Ramón Montero and Joan Botella. 2004. Democracy in Modern
Spain. New Haven, Yale University Press, 2004.
Web Pages
Elmundo.es; Elpais.es; LaRazón.es; ABC.es; ElConfidencial.es; LibertadDigital.es
Notes
Complementary Bibliography
Textbooks
Heywood, Paul (ed.). 1999. Politics and Policy in Democratic Spain. London, Frank
Cass, 1999
Powell, Charles, España en democracia (1975-2000). Las claves de la
Profunda transformación de España. Barcelona, Plaza y Janés, 2001.
Román, Paloma (coord.), Sistema Político Español, Madrid, McGraw-Hill, 2001.
TEACHING METHODOLOGY
General Methodological Aspects Regarding the Subject
Classroom Methodology: Activities
a) Lectures: Exposition of the main theoretical aspects that make up the programme
on the part of the lecturer.
b) A piece of group-work consisting of tracking an important theme in the Spanish
press in order to analyse Spanish government institutions. This work will be
presented in class.
c) Under the lecturer’s direction, the students will debate various topical issues
extracted from the press under the lecturer’s guidance.
Non-Classroom Methodology: Activities
a) Personal study of the themes that are addressed in class.
b) Current Affairs: Reading of news articles, opinion columns and press analysis.
The study of all the themes will commence with the reading of some journalistic text.
c) Preparation for the exam.
Students will receive guidance, information and working material through the
University’s Resources Portal.
SUMMARY OF STUDENT WORK HOURS4
Nº
Hours
Activity
Lectures
Class Nº Non-Class Total Hours
Hours
15
Current Affairs
10
25
10
10
Debates
7
7
Class Presentation
8
8
Individual Work
Collaborative Work
Evaluation: Exam
5
Evaluation: Exam
Review6
3
7
7
8
8
10
13
2
2
Sum Total
+ 5 (80)
ECTS CREDITS:
Indicators 8
Evaluation
Activities
Competences
Individual Work
An individual
piece of work on
Capacity
for - Comprehension of 20%
analysis
and the topic.
comprehension of - Synthesis and
.
7
Percentage
of
the
Overall
Evaluation
Grade9
75
a current affairs
topic
current affairs.
Debate
Discussion in
class of the
themes tackled
in the
presentations
and the lectures
clarity
of
the
exposition.
- Documentation
- Quality of the
exposition itself.
Effort
comprehend
participate.
Capacity
expression
handling
information.
to 10%
and
for
and
of
Class
Presentation
Presentation in
class of a piece
of work
produced by two
students
together on a
current affairs
topic
- Presentation in
public
- Clarity of the
exposition
and
capacity
for
synthesis
20%
Evaluation:
Exam
A written exam.
The exam will
consist of a
fragment of a
news item,
which the
student must
comment upon
by following four
questions
relating to
themes that
have been
covered in class
- Knowledge of the
subject.
Capacity
for
linking themes.
Capacity
for
applying theoretical
knowledge
to
current
affairs
matters
- Precision and
clarity
of
the
exposition
50%
Grading
1) Final Exam. Students must demonstrate their knowledge of the subject and
mastery of the corresponding competence: capacity to manage information.
Students must complete an exercise in which they produce a synthetic account of
the subject’s contents. 50%
2) Students shall carry out a piece of individual work in which they demonstrate their
capacity for analysis and their understanding of the Spanish political system and
Spanish politics today. 20%
3) In groups of two, students shall produce a piece of work to be presented in class
on one of the themes that has been tackled during the course. 20%
4) An extra 10 per cent of the final mark shall be added depending on students’
participation in debates regarding different topics and reading assignments.