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2021/2022

Spanish and Catalan Politics

Code: 42276 ECTS Credits: 10
Degree Type Year Semester
4313335 Political Science OT 0 2
4317157 Advanced Research in Political Science OT 1 2
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Carolina Galais Gonzalez
Email:
Carolina.Galais@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)

Teachers

Francesc Xavier Ballart Hernández
Joan Botella Corral
Nuria Font Borrás
John Robert Etherington
Eva Ostergaard-Nielsen
Eva Anduiza Perea
Agustí Bosch Grau
Berta Barbet Porta
Carolina Galais Gonzalez
Margarita Leon
Ixchel Perez Duran
Enrique Hernandez Perez
Guillem Rico Camps
Ana Mar Fernández Pasarín

Prerequisites

-

Objectives and Contextualisation

The aim of the “Spanish and Catalan Politics” Course is to provide a comprehensive overview of the Spanish and Catalan political system from the transition to democracy onwards: institutions and territorial organisation, parties and elections, political culture and behaviour, policy-making, the urban dimension of politics and relations with the EU. The course also addresses recent developments and challenges of Spanish and Catalan politics, such as the national question, migration politics and the municipalist movement.

Competences

    Political Science
  • Analyse the main economic, social and political challenges facing contemporary democracies.
  • Design and write projects and technical and academic reports autonomously using the appropriate terminology, arguments and analytical tools in each case.
  • Recognise the complexity of politics today, its diversity and the tensions to which it is exposed, with special emphasis on the Spanish and European contexts.
  • Students should be able to integrate knowledge and face the complexity of making judgements based on information that may be incomplete or limited and includes reflections on the social and ethical responsibilities associated with the application of their knowledge and judgements.
  • Understand the design, operation and consequences of the political institutions and their relation to processes of governance.
    Advanced Research in Political Science
  • Analyse the design, functioning and consequences of political institutions and their relations with processes of governance.
  • Analyse the main economic, social and political challenges in contemporary democracies.
  • Design and write projects and technical and academic reports autonomously using the appropriate terminology, arguments and analytical tools in each case.
  • Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
  • Recognise the complexity of political situations, diversity and the tensions to which they are subjected, with special emphasis on the Spanish and European contexts.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Compare the characteristics and consequences of municipal, autonomous-community and national electoral systems.
  2. Design and write projects and technical and academic reports autonomously using the appropriate terminology, arguments and analytical tools in each case.
  3. Distinguish between the different phases and the development of the Spanish and Catalan party systems.
  4. Distinguish between the phases and development of the Spanish and Catalan party systems.
  5. Evaluate the relation and interaction between actors and institutions in the Spanish political system.
  6. Explain the characteristics, limitations and potential of the state of autonomies.
  7. Explain the characteristics, limitations and potential of the states of autonomy.
  8. Identify possible ways for accommodating plurality in modern society in the institutional framework of Spain.
  9. Identify the main periods and perspectives for the future of the national articulation of the Spanish state.
  10. Identify the main phases and future perspectives of the national articulation of the Spanish state.
  11. Identify the possible paths for accommodating plurality in modern society in the Spanish institutional framework.
  12. Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
  13. Recognise the political divisions in the contemporary Spanish political system.
  14. Recognise the political schisms in the contemporary Spanish political system.
  15. Students should be able to integrate knowledge and face the complexity of making judgements based on information that may be incomplete or limited and includes reflections on the social and ethical responsibilities associated with the application of their knowledge and judgements.
  16. Understand intraparty democracy and its impact on the Spanish case.
  17. Understand intraparty models of democracy and their impact on the Spanish case.
  18. Understand the main lines and the dynamics of political-electoral competition in different regional areas.
  19. Understand the main themes and the dynamics of political and electoral competence in different regions.
  20. Understand the potential political effects of possible reforms to the electoral system.
  21. Understand the potential political effects of the possible reforms of the electoral system.
  22. Valuate the relationship and interaction between the agents and institutions in the Spanish political system.

Content

1.     Institutions and territorial organisation

2.     Parties and elections

3.     Political culture and behaviour

4.     Policy-making

5.     Spain and the EU

6.     The urban dimension of politics

Methodology

The course is composed of 25 sessions divided into 6 modules. A typical session will include a lecture (approximately 1 hour a half) plus a debate on the compulsory readings (after the break). For each session, one student in rotation will prepare a short presentation (approximately 10 minutes) on the topic of the compulsory readings plus 2-3 questions for the debate and will act as debate moderator. Continuous evaluation will be a key aspect of the course. Participation to classes, debates on compulsory readings and short written assignments will be the three elements on which evaluation will be carried out.

Short written assignments may be written in English, Spanish or Catalan.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures and seminars 62.5 2.5 1, 3, 4, 19, 18, 17, 16, 21, 20, 7, 6, 11, 8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 14, 13, 5, 22
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 42.5 1.7 1, 3, 4, 19, 18, 17, 16, 21, 20, 7, 6, 11, 8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 14, 13, 5, 22
Type: Autonomous      
Compulsory readings 85 3.4 1, 3, 4, 19, 18, 17, 16, 21, 20, 7, 6, 11, 8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 14, 13, 5, 22
Short written assignment (2) 60 2.4 1, 3, 4, 2, 19, 18, 17, 16, 21, 20, 7, 6, 11, 8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 14, 13, 5, 22

Assessment

·       Compulsory readings (40%). Students are expected to read compulsory readings before attending each class and to actively participating to it. It is mandatory to attend a minimum of 80% of the sessions to pass this module. During the seminar time, a student will present the readings and the rest of the class will discuss the conclusions. All students are expected to read the compulsory readings for the week and to prepare their interventions.

·       Two short written assignments (30% each). Students will have to prepare two short written assignments (approximately 1200 words). The first one will be on the urban dimension of politics while the second assignment will be on a topic of the course freely chosen by each student.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
1 short written assignment 30% 0 0 1, 3, 4, 2, 19, 18, 17, 16, 21, 20, 7, 6, 11, 8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 14, 13, 5, 22
1 short written assignment 30% 0 0 1, 3, 4, 2, 19, 18, 17, 16, 21, 20, 7, 6, 11, 8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 14, 13, 5, 22
Debates on compulsory readings 40% 0 0 1, 3, 4, 19, 18, 17, 16, 21, 20, 7, 6, 11, 8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 14, 13, 5, 22

Bibliography

Gunther, R., Montero, J. and Botella, J. (2004) Democracy in Modern Spain. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Gunther, R., Montero, J. (2009) The Politics of Spain. Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press.

Muro, D. and Lago, I. (eds). (2020) The Oxford Handbook of Spanish Politics. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.

Agranoff, R. (2004) Autonomy, devolution and Intergovernmental Relations. Regional and Federal Studies. 14 (1):16-65

Almendral, V.R. (2003) The Assymetric Distribution of Taxation Powers in the Spanish State of Autonomies: The Common System and the ‘Foral’ tax Regimes. Regional and Federal Studies. 13 (4):41-66

Colomer, J.M. (1998) The Spanish ‘State of Autonomies’: non institutional federalism. West European Politics.20 (4): 40-52

Keating, M. and Wilson, A. (2009) Renegotiating the State of Autonomies: Statute Reform and Multi-level Politics in Spain.  West European Politics, 32 (3): 536-558

Brubaker, R. (2009) Ethnicity, Race and Nationalism. Annual Review of Sociology  Vol. 35, pp. 21-42

Smith, A. D. (1994) The problem of national identity: ancient, medieval and modern?. Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 17, No. 3

Payne, S. G. (1964) Spanish Nationalism in the Twentieth Century. The Review of Politics Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 403-422.

Cetrà, D. and Harvey, M. (2018) Explaining accommodation and resistance to demands for independence referendums in the UK and Spain. Nations and Nationalism, Vol. 25, Issue 2, pp. 607-629

Oller, J., Satorra, A. and Tobeña, A. (2020) Privileged Rebels: A Longitudinal Analysis of Distinctive Economic Traits of Catalan Secessionism. Genealogy. 4 (1): 19. doi:10.3390/genealogy4010019

Torcal, M. (2014) The Decline of Political Trust in Spain and Portugal. American Behavioral Scientist 58, no. 12, 1542– https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764214534662.

Soler-i-Martí, R. and Ferrer-Fons, M. Youth Participation in Context: The Impact of Youth Transition Regimes on Political Action Strategies in Europe. Sociological Review 63, no. S2 (2015): 92–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.12264.

Fernández-Albertos, J., and Manzano, D. The Lack of Partisan Conflict over the Welfare State in Spain. South European Society and Politics, October 9, 2012, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/13608746.2012.701895.

Montero, J.R. and Santana, A. (2020) Elections in Spain. In Diego Muro & Ignacio Lago, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Spanish Politics. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.

Riera, P. (2020) Turnout. In Diego Muro & Ignacio Lago, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Spanish Politics. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.

Fraile M. and Hernández, E. (2020) Determinants of Voting Behaviour. In Diego Muro & Ignacio Lago, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Spanish Politics. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.

Anduiza, E., Cristancho, C. andSabucedo, J.M. (2013) Mobilization through Online Social Networks: The Political Protest of the Indignados in Spain. Information, Communication & Society 17 (6): 750–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2013.808360.

Jordi,M. and Anduiza, E. (2019) If a Fight Starts, Watch the Crowd’: The Effect of Violence on Popular Support for Social Movements. Journal of Peace Research 56 (4): 485–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343318820575.

Vecchione, M., González Castro, JL, and Caprara, GV (2011) Voters and leaders in the mirror of politics: Similarity in personality and voting choice in Italy and Spain. International Journal of Psychology, 46 (4), 259-270.

Galais, C., and Lorenzini, J. (2017). Half a loaf is (not) better than none: How austerity-related grievances and emotions triggered protests in Spain. Mobilization22(1), 77-95.

van Prooijen, J. W., Rutjens, B., and Brandt, M. (2018) Populism as political mentality underlying conspiracy theories. Belief systems and the perception of reality, 79-96.

Manow et al. (2018) Welfare democracies and party politics: explaining electoral dynamics in times of changing welfare capitalism. Oxford: OUP Oxford

Häusermann, S., Picot, G. and Geering, D. (2013). Rethinking Party Politics and the Welfare State: Recent Advances in the Literature. British Journal of Political Science, 43(1):221-240.

Allen, J. (2006) Welfare regimes, welfare systems and housing in southern Europe, European Journal of Housing Policy, 6(3), pp. 251–277. doi: 10.1080/14616710600973102.

Esteller-Moré, A. and Polo-Otero, J.  (2012) Fiscal Transparency, Public Management Review, 14:8, 1153-1173, DOI:10.1080/14719037.2012.657839

Fernández Pasarín, A. and Morata, F. (2020) Spain: Pragmatic Europeanism or the End of Unconditional Support for European Integration, in Bulmer, S. and Lequesne, Ch., The Member States of the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 3rd ed., chap. 7

Fernández Pasarín, A. and Morata, F. (2015) Spain at the Helm: The Spanish Presidencies of the Council of the EU, International Journal of Iberian Studies, 28(3): 157-175. DOI: 10.1386/ijis.28.2-3.157_1

Agranoff, R. (2010) Integrating Local Governments into the State of Autonomies. In Agranoff, R. Local Governments and Their Intergovernmental Networks in Federalizing Spain. Montreal: McGill-Queen's Press

Garcia Fernandez, C. (1997) The privatization of public services in Spain in (eds.) Stoker, G; Lorrain, D. The privatisation of urban services in Europe, London, UK. Routledge.

Blanco, I. and Gomà, R., (2020) New Municipalism. In: Kobayashi, A. (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 2nd edition. vol. 9, Elsevier, pp. 393–398. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102295-5.10676-6

Software

None