INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL OBJECTIVES
A quarter of a century has gone by since the process of democratization in Spain first got under way. A sufficient degree of perspective is now available so as to enable the development of an integrated module that has come to be known as The Present Day, which, strictly speaking, surfs the interdisciplinary frontiers among History, Law, and the Political Sciences, aiming to provide a well-grounded analysis of Spain’s recent past.
There is no doubting the fact that the process of democratization in Spain has aroused a great deal of interest outside the country. Not only has it acted as a referent in the case of Latin American countries such as Guatemala and Chile, but has also come to be a subject of analysis and observation on the part of developed Western countries. In this sense, the inclusion of this module within the Courses for Students from Abroad constitutes a highly relevant move, especially as a result of its appeal to students from the United States.
The aims of this Course module are as listed here:
a) To create an awareness of how Spain’s political transition is the result of a process of reform.
b) Internationally speaking, to assess Spain’s progressive integration within the Western scenario.
c) To contribute to an understanding of the unique features of Spain’s political system and of its constitutional architecture.
d) To help make discernible the specific model of Spain’s territorial organization (a State made up of autonomous regions) by establishing comparisons with other countries.
e) To contribute to the identification of the main characteristics of Spanish political culture.
SYLLABUS
1. The End of an Authoritarian Regime within the Processes of Transition affecting Southern Europe (1969-1975).
2. From Carlos Arias Navarro to Adolfo Suárez: Political Reform (November, 1975, to December, 1976).
3. From the Recovery of Fundamental Liberties to the Constitution (January, 1977, to December, 1978.
4. The Difficulties involved in the Consolidation of Democracy and the Crisis in UCD (January, 1979, to October, 1982).
5. The First Socialist Government: Toward Spain’s International Integration (1982-1986).
6. The Spain of the Autonomous Regions.
7. Economic Growth and Crisis (1986-1996).
8. Spain’s Political System.
9. The Conservative Alternative (1996-2004).
10. Weighing Up the Process and Future Challenges.
METHODOLOGY
Keeping in mind the duration of class sessions (two hours) and the need to deal with a range of levels of comprehension of the Spanish language, a dynamic methodology will be adopted, based on the following procedures:
a) the explanation of subject content via Powerpoint presentations;
b) the analysis of texts and documents distributed in Xeroxed copies;
c) the inclusion of documentaries covering specific topics;
d) the holding of debates and exchanges of viewpoint during certain sessions.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
These criteria are based as follows:
a) on regular attendance and active participation in class sessions;
b) the grading of an optional assignment;
c) the grading of two written tests of an objective nature, one mid-way through the semester and the other at its close.
When grading exams, attention will be paid to the following features: clarity of expression when writing, a sufficiently knowledgeable awareness of syllabus content, a capacity for synthesis, a mature level of understanding.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Keeping in mind the custom in universities in the United States of employing a single text, from our standpoint, the text offering the clearest picture of the subject in hand is:
POWELL, Charles: España en democracia, 1975-2000 (Barcelona: Plaza y Janés), 2001.
The book itself contains a bibliographical index which can help those students wishing to amplify information regarding specific subject areas, as well as providing help when carrying out assignments.
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