Year  2011-12

Political participation (21699)

Qualification: Degree in Political Science and Administration
Year: 3rd and 4th
Term: 2nd
Number of ECTS credits: 4
Hours of student dedication: 100 hours
Teaching language: Catalan
Teacher: Francesc Pau Vall

 

1. Introduction to the course

Text: The course Political participation is centred on the constitutional concept of political participation, on electoral systems and on the analysis of the organization and functioning of institutions in which citizens participate.  It focuses primarily on Catalonia and the State, the Spanish and Catalan political systems and the European Union.

2. Competences to be achieved

Generic competences

Basic IT skills

Interpersonal abilities

Research abilities

Ability to generate new ideas (creativity)

Specific competences

To know the constitutional concept of political participation and the procedures through which it is articulated in institutions.

To know the different electoral systems and the different results they produce..

 

To know the principles and values on which the Constitution is based.

To know the characteristics of the Spanish political system, the organization of the basic state institutions and how they work.

To know the characteristics of the Catalan political system within the Spanish political framework and the organization and functioning of the basic institutions in Catalonia.

To know the characteristics of the institutions of the European Union and the participation of the State and the autonomic communities in elaborating the community rules.

 

3. Contents

UNIT 1. Participation in the 1978 Constitution. The means for direct participation: referendums, legislative proposals from popular initiative, hearings in the legislative process. Participation via Internet.

UNIT 2. Different electoral systems. Features.

UNIT 3. The constitutional framework: the 1978 Constitution. The democratic and social state. Parliamentary monarchy. Autonomic State. The Constitutional tribunal.

UNIT 4. The 2006 statute of autonomy. Principal characteristics. The division of competences. Funding.

UNIT 5. The parliament of Catalonia. Deputies: immunity, inviolability and capacity. Parliament organization: the President, the Mesa, the commissions, the proposals,  the full chamber, the permanent council, the board of speakers. The parliamentary groups.

UNIT 6. The functioning of Parliament: the constitutive session, parliamentary sessions, debates and votes, quorum for meetings and decision taking.

UNIT 7. Parliamentary functions from the formal and material perspectives. Functions: legislative, budgetary, executive check and initiative. The different parliamentary procedures.

UNIT 8. The President and the Government of the Generalitat: organization and functioning. The Prime Councillor.

UNIT 9. Other statutory institutions: the ombudman, the audit office, the Council of Statute garantees and the Audivisual Council of Catalonia.

UNIT 10. The European Union. The institutions and the rules of the European Union. Participation of States and the Autonomic Communities in the elaborating Union rules.

  

4. Assessment

1.- Continuous assessment (50%)

Regular attendance and active participation in class will account for up to 2 points (20%).

Students must complete one piece of coursework.  This will be established by the teacher, in small groups of students, and will be presented in class on the date specified.  This work will account for up to 3 points (30%).

2.- Final assessment (50 %)

Final exam, up to 5 points.

 

PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES:

Attendance to a session of the full parliament. After it, there will be a discussion with a deputy from the parliamentary majority and one from the minority.

Attendance to the live TVE programme of political debate "59 segons"

  

5. Bibliography and other resources

5.1. Basic bibliography

ALBERTÍ, ENOCH and others. Manual de dret públic de Catalunya. Barcelona, Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics, 2002.

BARCELÓ, Mercè and VINTRÓ, Joan, (coords.) Dret Públic de Catalunya, Atelier, Barcelona, 2008.

CAMINAL, M.; MATAS, J. (coord.). Sistema polític de Catalunya. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona/Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona/Tecnos, 1998.

PALLARÉS PORTA, Francesc, "Sistema electoral y sistema de partidos", a Francesc Pau i Vall (coord.) Parlamento y sistema electoral, editat per l'Asociación Española de Letrados de Parlamentos i Tecnos, Madrid, 1999.

 PAU VALL, Francesc, "La reforma del sistema electoral español en las elecciones al Congreso de los Diputados", a Francesc Pau i Vall (coord.) Parlamento y partidos políticos, editat per l'Asociación Española de Letrados de Parlamentos i Tecnos, Madrid, 2009.

PAU VALL, Francesc, "Una reflexión sobre el estado del Parlamento y su potenciación" and "Democracia e Internet" a Francesc Pau i Vall and Miguel Carbonell (compiladors), Temas y problemas del Parlamento contemporáneo, edited by Senado de la República de México and Miguel Angel Porrúa, México, DF, 2006.

PAU VALL, Francesc, "Acerca de la abstención", in Francesc Pau i Vall (coord.), Ciudadanía y política, editat per l'Asociación Española de Letrados de Parlamentos i Tecnos, Madrid, 2004.

PAU VALL, Francesc, "La organización territorial en España", published in Debate, núm. 4, edited by the Centro de Estudios Parlamentarios de l'Asamblea Nacional de Panamá,  February 2003.

PAU VALL, Francesc, "La función parlamentaria de control", in Francesc Pau i Vall (coord.), Las funciones de los Parlamentos en Italia y en España, edited by the Asociación Española de Letrados de Parlamentos and Aranzadi, Pamplona, 2001.

TUDELA ARANDA, José, El parlamento necesario. Parlamento y democracia en el siglo XXI, edited by the Congreso de los Diputados, Madrid, 2008

  

Law Texts

Constitució Espanyola, Estatut d'Autonomia de Catalunya, Reglament del Parlament de Catalunya. Publicacions del Parlament de Catalunya, Barcelona, 2006.

 

6. Methodology

The methodology is based on a combination of classroom based sessions and teacher-guided activities. These will be an oral presentation in class as well as a visit to the Parliament of Catalonia, a debate with two Deputies and a visit to the TVE political  programme "59 segons".

There will be two-hour weekly classes with the whole group where the basic points of each unit will be explained.  Special emphasis will be placed on student debate in calss in order to consolidate the concepts explained.  

Students will have to prepare a piece of work in groups, and with the teachers consent, and present it to the whole class for debate.  The aim is to consolidate student's ability to write essays, present arguments in public and defend positions.

Students will also attend a session of the full parliament chamber and then participate in a debate with two deputies (one form the parliamentary majority and one from the minority).

 

 

 

7. Programme of activities

Week	Ses	Type	Session content	Student work during the week
				Learning activity		Hrs in class	Hrs out of class
				In class	Outside class
Iª	1	T	Unit 1	Active participation	Prepare group work	2
IIª	2	T	Unit 2	Active participation	Prepare group work	2
IIIª	3	T	Unit 3	Active participation	Prepare group work	2
IVª	4	T	Unit 4	Active participation	Prepare group work	2
Vª	5	T	Unit 5	Active participation	Prepare group work	2
VIª	6	T	Unit 6	Active participation	Prepare group work	2
VIIª	7	T	Unit 7	Active participation	Prepare group work	2
VIIIª	8	T	Unit 8	Active participation	Prepare group work	2
IXª	9	T	Unit 9 (and group presentations)	Active participation	Prepare group work	2
Xª	10	T	Unit 10 (and group presentations)	Active participation		2
Hours dedicated to theoretical work: Subtotal: 20 Presentation of work (on a date to be confirmed). Practical activities (visit to the Parliament and political debate) (on a date to be confirmed)
XIª  XIIª	Hours dedicated to prepare for the final exam
TOTAL HOURS