CCSE questions on Constitution and symbols

✓ Monarquía parlamentaria

Spain is a parliamentary monarchy. This means the king is the head of state, but he does not govern: the laws are made by the Cortes Generales (the Spanish parliament), elected by the citizens, and the Government depends on the trust of the Congreso. The Constitution of 1978 says this in article 1. Trick to remember it: "parliamentary" means that power comes from Parliament and from the vote, not from the crown. And the king does not rule the Government either.

✓ La Constitución

The most important rule in Spain is the Constitution, approved in 1978. It is called the "law of laws" because all other rules (laws, regulations, estatutos de autonomía) must respect it. If a law goes against it, it can be cancelled by the Tribunal Constitucional (the Constitutional Court). Other rules, like the Código Civil or the Estatuto de los Trabajadores, are important laws, but of a lower rank. That is why it is also called the "fundamental law".

✓ En el pueblo español

National sovereignty belongs to the Spanish people, and all the powers of the State come from them. Article 1 of the Constitution says so. The people use this power mainly by voting in elections. That is why the king, the Government, the judges and the members of parliament do not own the power: they use it in the name of the citizens. The usual trap is to answer "the king" or "the Tribunal Supremo" (the Supreme Court): they are institutions of the State, not the source of power.