Identifying Data 2019/20
Subject (*) Constitutional Organisation of the State Code 612G01009
Study programme
Grao en Dereito
Descriptors Cycle Period Year Type Credits
Graduate 2nd four-month period
 First Obligatory 6
Language
Spanish
Teaching method Face-to-face
Prerequisites
Department Dereito Público
Coordinador
Caamaño Domínguez, Francisco Manuel
 E-mail
f.caamano@udc.es
Lecturers
Caamaño Domínguez, Francisco Manuel
Garcia Vazquez, Sonia
Jove Villares, Daniel
Roura Gomez, Santiago Antonio
 E-mail
f.caamano@udc.es
sonia.garcia.vazquez@udc.es
d.jove.villares@udc.es
santiago.roura.gomez@udc.es
Web
General description O estudo da materia "organización constitucional" ten o obxectivo de continuar facilitando ao futuro graduado en Dereito a formación necesaria para se desenvolver no ámbito xurídico da organización estatal. Coñecidos no primeiro cuatrimestre os contidos fundamentais da noción de Estado Constitucional, democrático, liberal e social de Dereito, a Constitución española de 1978 e a súa natureza, a súa función como fonte do Dereito así como a parte dogmática (dereitos fundamentais) da mesma, compre agora analisar a estrutura territorial do Estado español, estudando a forma de Estado –politicamente descentralizado- que se organiza en tres instancias territoriais fundamentais: a organización política central, as Comunidades Autónomas e os entes locais, as relacións entre estas –con especial referencia aos litixios constitucionais de defensa da autonomía de cada unha delas-, ofrecendo unha visión de conxunto da dinámica propia dos modelos descentralizados ou federais.
Asemade, neste curso estudase o conxunto de órganos constitucionais que plasman a división horizontal de poderes establecida na Constitución española, isto é, as Cortes Xerais (Poder Lexislativo), o Goberno da Nación e a Administración Pública (Poder Executivo) e os xulgados e Tribunais e o Consello Xeral do Poder Xudicial (Poder Xudicial) e o Tribunal Constitucional.

Study programme competencies
Code Study programme competences
A1 Knowledge of the main legal institutions
A2 Knowledge of the role of law as a regulatory system of social relations
A3 Grasping the systematic nature of the legal system
A5 Knowing the constitutional principles and values.
A7 Knowing the national and international legal and political structures.
A8 Basic knowledge of legal argumentation.
A9 Ability to handle legal sources (legal, jurisprudential and doctrinal).
A10 Ability to interpret and critically assess the legal system.
A11 Ability to understand and write legal documents.
B2 Ability to know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and possess the skills that are usually demonstrated through the elaboration and defense of arguments and the resolution of problems within their area of study.
B3 Ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their area of study) to make judgments that include a reflection on social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
B7 Effective problem solving.
B8 Critical, logical, and creative thinking.
B10 Teamwork and collaboration.
B11 Ethical and social responsibility.
B13 Computing and ICT skills.
C4 Exercising an open, educated, critical, committed, democratic and supportive citizenship for the sake of the common good.
C6 Critically assess the knowledge, technology and information available to solve the problems they face.
C7 Assume as a professional and citizen the importance of lifelong learning.

Learning aims
Learning outcomes Study programme competences
Coñecemento das estruturas xurídico-políticas de ámbito nacional e internacional A1
A7
 B8
B11
B2
B3
 C6
C7
Coñecer a función do Dereito como sistema regulador das relacións sociais. A2
A5
Coñecemento dos principios e valores constitucionais. A5
Percepción do carácter sistemático do ordenamento xurídico. A3
Coñecementos básicos de argumentación xurídica. A8
Capacidade de interpretar e analizar críticamente o ordenamento xurídico. A10
Capacidade de comprender e de redactar documentos xurídicos A11
Capacidade para o manexo de fontes xurídicas (legais, xurisprudenciais e doutrinais). A9
Resolver problemas de forma efectiva, valorando a importancia que ten a investigación, a innovación e o desenvolvemento tecnolóxico no avance socioeconómico e cultural da sociedade. B7
Traballar de forma colaborativa B10
Capacidade para utilizar a rede informática (internet) na obtención de información e na comunicación de datos e, en xeral, capacidade para empregar as ferramentas básicas das TIC necesarias para o exercicio da súa profesión. B13
Desenvolverse para o exercicio dunha cidadanía aberta, culta, crítica, comprometida, democrática e solidaria, capaz de analizar a realidade, diagnosticar problemas, formular e implantar solucións baseadas no coñecemento e orientadas ao ben común. C4

Contents
Topic Sub-topic
Lesson 1: Division of Powers in the Rule of Law and the Limited Government
 1) The classical frame. 2) The meaning of the division of powers nowadays
LESSON 2: The Spanish Crown
 1) The political form: the parliamentary monarchy. 2) The figure and position of the King as Head of the State and his personal status: inviolability and irresponsibility. 3) The succession in the Crown and the Regency 4) The faculties and functions of the King. 6) The countersign of the King's doings.
LESSON 3: The Legislative Branch: The Cortes Generales
1) The historical origin of the Parliament and its organisation: monocameralism and bicameralism 2) The Election Rules: The composition of the Parliamentary Houses in Spain: Congress of the Deputies and Senate. 3) The internal organisation of the Parliament. 4) The personal status of the parliamentarians: the content of the position; icompatibilities; inviolability, immunity and special jurisdiction. 5) Legislative Function 6) The financial and budgetary function. 7) Relationships between Legislative and Executive Branches: vote of confidence, censure motion and the dissolution of the Congress, the Senate or the Cortes 8) The Parliament Auxiliaries: The Court of Audit and the Ombudsman
LESSON 4: The Executive Branch
1) Composition and structure of the Executive Branch (Gobierno) 2) The Presidency of the Executive (Prime Minister) and the procedure of investiture. 3) The personal statute of the members of the Executive. 4) The functions of the Executive 5) Powers of the outgoing Executive 6) The Government and the Public Administration: organisational principles and of operation.
LESSON 5: The Judicial Branch and the General Council of the Judiciary
 1) The Judicial Power and the Rule of Law in Spain: independent judges and justices (magistrates) 2) The organization of the Judiciary 3) The General Council of the Judiciary
LESSON 6: The Constitutional Court
1) Nature, composition and organisation of the Spanish Constitutional Court. 2) Unconstitutionality Appeal 3) The submission of unconstitutionality 4) The preliminary action of unconstitutionality on Draft Statutes of Autonomy and proposals for their reform. 5) The Declaration about the constitutionality of the Treaties 6) The conflict in defence of the local autonomy 7) The positive conflicts of jurisdiction 8) The negative conflicts of jurisdiction 9)The challenges of the enactments without force of law and to decisions of the Autonomous Communities 10) The conflicts between constitutional organs of the State
LESSON 7: The Territorial Organization of the State: Autonomous Communities and Local Entities 1) The constitutional frame of the territorial organisation: Spain as a Federal State 2) The autonomy of Nationalities and Regions. 3) The formation process of the Autonomous Communities.. 4) The distribution of jurisdictions between the State and the Autonomous Communities. 5) The evolution of the Spanish territorial model and his limits. 6) The inexistence os self-determination as secession: Art 155 SC 7) The local autonomy in the Constitution.

Planning
Methodologies / tests Competencies Ordinary class hours Student’s personal work hours Total hours
Introductory activities A1 A2 A3 A5 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 B7 B8 B10 B11 B13 B2 B3 C4 C6 C7 1 1 2
Guest lecture / keynote speech A1 A2 A3 A5 A7 A8 19 38 57
Seminar B7 B8 B10 11 22 33
Case study B7 B8 B10 B2 B3 10 10 20
Document analysis A9 A10 A11 3 6 9
Directed discussion A11 B7 B2 B3 3 3 6
Workbook A1 A2 A3 A5 A7 3 0 3
Objective test B2 B3 1 0 1
Speaking test B7 B8 B3 1 0 1
Supervised projects A9 A11 B7 B3 7 7 14
 
Personalized attention 4 0 4
 
(*)The information in the planning table is for guidance only and does not take into account the heterogeneity of the students.

Methodologies
Methodologies Description
Introductory activities El primer día de clase, cada uno de los profesores responsables de los diferentes grupos procederá a explicar a sus alumnos/as la estructura de la guía docente personalizada, así como las materias concretas objeto de estudio, la distribución aproximada del cronograma y las fuentes documentales más útiles para seguir el curso académico.
Guest lecture / keynote speech Las sesiones magistrales constituirán la base teórica que facilite los conocimientos esenciales al alumno sobre la materia
Seminar Los seminarios son sesiones de trabajo con un perfil teórico-práctico especializadas en un tema concreto.
Case study Estudio de casos prácticos, análisis de textos jurídicos o de jurisprudencia que los docentes planteen a los alumnos/as. Esta actividad podrá ser presencial o no presencial.
Document analysis Estudiar o comentar documentos jurídicos, documentos doctrinales o jurisprudencia del Tribunal Constitucional, Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos, etc...
Directed discussion Esta actividad será realizada de modo presencial y consistirá en la puesta en común de opiniones sobre una materia, o bien, en la resolución común de problemas actuales que estén directamente relacionados con el objeto de estudio
Workbook Lecturas en sesiones presenciales o no presenciales
Objective test Examen final y, en su caso, examen parcial (si así lo establece el profesor encargado de ese grupo).

Durante la primera semana lectiva del cuatrimestre, el profesor responsable del grupo también pondrá de manifiesto los mecanismos concretos de evaluación que serán empleados durante el cuatrimestre.
Speaking test Posibilidad de prueba final o parcial oral (se establecerá por cada profesor)
Supervised projects Los profesores de las diferentes materias integradas en el Módulo podrán sugerir el desarrollo de trabajos individuales o por grupos sobre un tema concreto.

Dichos trabajos podrán influir positivamente, en su caso, en la evaluación global del cuatrimestre.

Personalized attention
Methodologies
Case study
Supervised projects
Description
A atención personalizada ao estudante non estará vinculada a só unha metodoloxía, senón que será constante. Neste sentido, tanto o contido das clases teóricas, como o estudo persoal do alumno, coma calquera das actividades que integran o curso contarán coa posibilidade dunha tutorización por parte do docente, co fin de que o estudante poida formular as súas dúbidas e dificultades e que o docente poida axustar as súas metodoloxías ás especificidades da persoa concreta.

Assessment
Methodologies Competencies Description Qualification
Document analysis A9 A10 A11 Lecturas / Estudio de Casos / Discusión dirigida / Trabajos prácticos individuales o colectivos 20
Objective test B2 B3 Prueba objetiva: oral, escrita o tipo test 80
 
Assessment comments 
The presentation of at least one assignment on some of the contents of the lessons will be required. 
In addition to its written form, oral presentations will be held in the classroom.
The final grade will also take into account the qualification of these assignments, but it is necessary 
to pass the final exam to take into account the qualification of those assignments.

Sources of information
Basic
There are not specific Handbooks devoted to Spanish Constitutional Law writen in English. Some resources of information are avaliable on the Internet. Be careful with those materials. For example, you can download an updated version of the Spanish Constitution at https://www.boe.es/legislacion/documentos/ConstitucionINGLES.pdf (provided by the Official State Gazette -Boletín Oficial del Estado-), which includes the ultimate version of Art. 135 after the last amendment in 2011. Other resources can also help the student to follow theConstitutional debates and the "state of the art" at the moment. See, for example: http://www.iconnectblog.com/2017/11/developments-in-spanish-constitutional-law-the-year-2016-in-review/. The Spanish Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) web page has also translated into English some of its decisions in leading cases, they are avaliable at https://www.tribunalconstitucional.es/en/jurisprudencia/Paginas/resoluciones-traducidas.aspx

See also:
Lesson 1.Laws, J. (2012). THE GOOD CONSTITUTION. The Cambridge Law Journal, 71(3), 567-582. doi:10.1017/S0008197312000827
Lesson 6 http://www.unirioja.es/dptos/dd/redur/numero1/pascual.pdf
Complementary

In Spanish, you can also see, among others:

· José Antonio Portero Molina, “Contribución al debate sobre la reforma del Senado”, Revista de Estudios Políticos, n.º 87 (1995), págs. 81-105.

· Javier Ruipérez, La protección constitucional de la autonomía, Tecnos, Madrid, 1993

. Javier Ruipérez, Constitución y Autodeterminación, Tecnos, Madrid, 1995

. Javier Ruipérez, El constitucionalismo democrático en los tiempos de la globalización, UNAM, México, 2005

· Santiago Roura Gómez, Federalismo y Justicia Constitucional. El Tribunal Constitucional y las Comunidades Autónomas, Biblioteca Nueva, Madrid, 2003

- Santiago Roura y Javier Tajadura (Dir.), La reforma constitucional, Bilioteca Nueva, Madrid, 2005.

· Sonia Garcìa Vàzquez, La controvertida reforma de la Ley Orgànica del Tribunal Constitucional, Andavira, A Coruña, 2009.

· Francisco Tomás y Valiente, El reparto competencial en la jurisprudencia del Tribunal Constitucional, Tecnos, Madrid, 1998.

Recommendations
Subjects that it is recommended to have taken before
Constitutions and Judicial Power/612G01014
European Union Law/612G01021
Regional Public Law in Spain/612G01030

Subjects that are recommended to be taken simultaneously
Oral and Written Communication/612G01004

Subjects that continue the syllabus
Constitutional Law: Sources of Law and Fundamental Rights/612G01003

Other comments

Constitutional States share a lot of constitutional institutions. Legal studentes will find some similarities and differences between the Spanish regulations and their own Constitutional structures. Previous knowledge  of the institutions of their countries of origin will help the students to understand the functioning of the Spanish ones, and they will be able to contribute their vision on the different ways that the Constitutional Law of each country approaches different or similar problems


(*)The teaching guide is the document in which the URV publishes the information about all its courses. It is a public document and cannot be modified. Only in exceptional cases can it be revised by the competent agent or duly revised so that it is in line with current legislation.