LIVING IN SPAIN 1

UNIR. WHAT'S SPAIN'S POLITICAL SYSTEM LIKE?. THE SPANISH CONSTITUTION DESCRIBES THE WAY THE COUNTRY IS ORGANISED AND HOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKS. IT ALSO TELLS US OUR RIGHTS AS CITIZENS. WRITE IN YOUR NOTEBOOK TWO NEW THINGS YOU LEARN. THE CONSTITUTION SAYS THAT SPAIN IS A PARLIAMENTARY MONARCHY. THIS CONSISTS OF FOUR MAIN PARTS. THE CROWN. PARLIAMENT. THE GOVERNMENT. THE JUDICIARY.

THE CROWN/ LA CORONA. THE KING IS THE HEAD OF THE SPANISH STATE. HE IS ALSO THE HEAD OF THE MILITARY. FELIPE IV IS THE KING OF SPAIN.

PARLIAMENT/ CORTES GENERALES. THE CONGRESS OF DEPUTIES AND THE SENATE FORM THE PARLIAMENT. THEY THINK OF A VOTE FOR NEW LAWS AND CHOOSE THE PRESIDENT. SPANISH CITIZENS ELECT THE MEMBERS OF DE CONGRESS AND THE SENATE EVERY FOUR YEARS IN GENERAL ELECTIONS. TO VOTE. NEW LAWS. TO CHOOSE. ELECTIONS GENERAL. PRESIDENT.

THE GOVERNMENT/ EL GOBIERNO. THE GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTS THE NEW LAWS. THE PRESIDENT REPRESENTS THE GOVERNMENT AND CHOOSES MINISTERS. TO CHOOSE. MINISTERS. TO REPRESENT.

THE JUDICIARY/ EL PODER JUDICIAL. LAW COURTS DECIDE WHEN SOMEONE BREAKS A LAW. THEY ALSO CHOOSE THE PUNISHMENT. JUDGES AND MAGISTRATES FORM THE LAW COURTS. LAW COURTS. WHEN. LAW. ALSO. PUNISHMENT. JUDGES. MAGISTRATES.

UNIR: WHAT IS AN ELECTION?. SPAIN IS A DEMOCRACY. THIS MEANS THE SPANISH PEOPLE CHOOSE THEIR LEADERS. ELECTIONS ARE WHEN THE PEOPLE VOTE FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT. EVERY SPANISH PERSON OVER 18 YEARS OLD CAN VOTE. ON ELECTION DAY, VOTERS CHOOSE THEIR FAVOURITE CANDIDATE ON A PIECE OF PAPER. THEY PUT THE PIECE OF PAPER IN A BOX. ALL VOTES ARE SECRET. LATER, OTHER PEOPLE COUNT THE VOTES. THE CANDIDATE WITH THE MOST VOTES IS THE WINNER.