The document discusses key aspects of democracy, including universal suffrage, separation of powers, freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and human rights. It notes that universal suffrage gives all citizens the right to vote, while separation of powers divides government into the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches to prevent abuse of power. Freedom of expression and association are also discussed as fundamental democratic rights. The rule of law and respect for human rights are presented as important principles of modern democracies.

1. IES Jardín de Málaga
DEMOCRACY. RULE BY THE PEOPLE.
INTRODUCTION. Think about this:
• The form of state (monarchy or republic?)
• Left or right wing parties.
• Public Health.
• Public Education.
• Paying taxes.
• The role of religion in a modern society.
Basic Points of democracy:
• Universal Suffrage.
• Separation of powers (executive, legislative and judiciary).
• Freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association.
• The rule of law.
• Human Rights.
CIUDADANÍA 3º ESO
IES JADÍN DE MÁLAGA
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Modern democracies can be divided between Constitutional (or
Parliamentary) Monarchies and Republics. Each system has slightly different
features. The clearest one is the way how the head of state is elected.
Monarchs inherit the position, while in Republics, presidents are elected
directly or indirectly by the people. The choice of model of state has
implications in terms of stability, governability, accountability and
representation. Are you a monarchist or a republican?
Pros and cons of a monarchy vs a republic
Advantages of a constitutional monarchy:
• Stability. The head of state is appointed for a very long period of time,
usually until she/he abdicates or die. This gives the country more
stability in comparison with republics where the head of state changes
every few years.
• Education. In a monarchy, the future head of state is known from birth,
therefore she/he is raised and educated accordingly. Monarchs are
usually prepared for their role and enjoy a privileged multidisciplinary
education.
• Neutrality. The head of state is not a politician, therefore is not tied to
any particular party. She/he can ensure neutrality and balance while in
power.
• No election cost. In many countries, the campaign to elect the head of
state can be very expensive. In monarchy, succession has little costs.
Disadvantages of a constitutional monarchy:
• Lack of democracy. The head of state is not elected and inherits the
position. The citizen have little to say about who will reign.
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MODEL OF STATE MONARCHY OR REPUBLIC?

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• Not every monarch is competent. The head of state may have been
prepared to reign, but this does not guarantee that this particular person
is suitable and competent for the position.
• Monarchs are people; so they have personal beliefs and political
preferences, often they are quite conservative. Their views and beliefs
may be different from those of the majority in their country.
• Royal families often have a very expensive lifestyle. In addition to the
king or queen, other members of the royalty also receive public salaries.
Moreover simply organizing their trips and security is very costly.
• More corruption? Sometimes justice is permissive with the abuses of
royal families. They are somehow protected because it is not in the
interest of the country to see their figures delegitimized.
Watch this video
Think about this: Are you a republican or a monarchist?
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4. IES Jardín de Málaga
People are always going on about ‘left wing’ and ‘right wing’ - but what does it
mean? Well it basically means what people believe a country should do for its
citizens.
Left wing beliefs are usually progressive in nature, they look to the future,
support those who cannot support themselves, are idealist and believe in
equality. People who are left wing believe in taxation to redistribute
opportunity and wealth - things like a national health service, quality public
education and job seeker’s allowance are fundamentally left wing ideas. They
believe in equality over the freedom to fail.
In Spain the main left wing parties are the Socialist Party, Izquierda Unida
and Podemos. They believe in making laws that protect women, ethnic
minorities, and gay people against discrimination.
They believe that we should tax rich people more to support people less well
off, and they believe we should regulate big businesses so they serve
people’s interests. They believe that a good welfare system means people
are healthier, more able to work, and will put more back into the economy.
They also typically believe country-wide tax-funded action on climate change
is necessary.
Right wing beliefs value tradition, they are about equity, survival of the
fittest, and they believe in economic freedom. They typically believe that
business shouldn’t be regulated, and that we should all look after ourselves.
Right wing people tend believe they shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s
education or health service. They believe in freedom to succeed over
equality.
In Spain the right wing parties are Partido Popular and
Ciudadanos .They believe that if you have more money, you should get to
keep it, and buy better education and health services for yourself. They
believe that businesses should be less regulated, and that the more money
they earn, they’ll bring more benefits to the country. They do not think climate
change is a priority.
Think about this: Do you identify with a right or left wing political
attitude?
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RIGHT AND LEFT WING PARTIES.WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

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Private sector healthcare is sometimes argued to be more efficient and
sustainable than public sector . The public sector is often seen as
providing more equitable and evidence-based care.
Studies and systematic review do not support the claim that the private
sector is usually more efficient, accountable, or medically effective than the
public sector; however, the public sector appears frequently to lack
timeliness and hospitality towards patients.
Health care can be provided through public and private providers. Public
health care is usually provided by the government through national
healthcare systems. Private health care can be provided through “for profit”
hospitals.
There is considerable ideological debate around whether countries should
strengthen public versus private healthcare services, but in reality most
countries use both types of healthcare provision. Recently, as the global
economic recession has put major control on government budgets there has
been an attack in public health services.
However, critics of the private health sector believe that public healthcare
provision is of most benefit to poor people and is the only way to achieve
universal and equitable access to health care.
This systematic review did not support the idea that private sector care is
more efficient, accountable, or effective than public sector. Each system has
its strengths and weaknesses, but importantly, in both sectors, there were
financial barriers to care, and each had poor accountability and
transparency.
Think about this:
“should the government provide universal healthcare?”
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PUBLIC HEALTHCARE

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In Spain there are 3 types of school . In most countries they only have private or public schools.
However this issue rarely seems to have importance in political debate.
Think about this: Is it correct to charge fees in “Concertada” schools?why do they do this?
PUBLIC SCHOOLS PRIVATE SCHOOL.
(VERY FEW)
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
SUSTAINED WITH
PUBLIC FUNDS.
(CONCERTADA)
FUNDING AND TUITION THE STATE PARENTS THE STATE
RELIGION AND FAITH
BASED LEARNING
SECULAR MOST ARE
INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOLS SO THEY DO
NOT OFFER RELIGION.
MOST ARE CATHOLIC
CORE CURRICULUM
STANDARD
BASICALLY THE SAME BASICALLY THE SAME BASICALLY THE SAME
STUDENTS ACCEPT EVERYONE ACCEPT STUDENTS
WHOSE PARENTS CAN
AFFORD THE TUITION
AND FEES.
THEY SHOULD ACCEPT
EVERYONE SINCE THEY
RECEIVE FUNDS FROM THE
GOVERNMENT, BUT THEY DO
NOT.
THEY CHARGE SOME FEES
FOR EXTRACURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES OR UNIFORM. SO
THEY SELECT MIDDLE
CLASS STUDENTS.
VERY OFTEN IN A SUBTLE
WAY THEY TELL THE MOST
DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS TO
GO TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL
TEACHERS TEACHERS IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS HAVE THE
HIGHER LICENSE
REQUIREMENTS.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN
STANDARDS TO
CHOOSE THEIR STAFF
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN
STANDARDS TO
CHOOSE THEIR STAFF
STUDENTS PER CLASS THEY ALWAYS HAVE
MORE CROWDED
CLASSES
THEY BENEFIT
SMALLER CLASSES IN
NUMBER OF
STUDENTS.
THEY HAVE CROWDED
CLASSES TOO.
RESULTS PISA ASSESSMENT-
TEST COULD NOT
DETERMINE WHICH
TYPE OF EDUCATION
GOT THE BEST
RESULTS.
PISA ASSESSMENT-
TEST COULD NOT
DETERMINE WHICH
TYPE OF EDUCATION
GOT THE BEST
RESULTS.
PISA ASSESSMENT-
TEST COULD NOT
DETERMINE WHICH
TYPE OF EDUCATION
GOT THE BEST
RESULTS.
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PUBLIC OR PRIVATE EDUCATION?

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Paying taxes is a social obligation. It is the price we pay for being part of a
civilized society and one defining characteristic of a good society is its
determination to support those who are not considered to be economically
less productive.
This doesn't just mean the unemployed, the sick, disabled and the old, but
also students, artists, those who enrich us and our society both intellectually
and emotionally.
In the commercial world, businesses always seek ways of reducing their tax
obligation as part of their cost . This is wrong. The payment of corporate tax
should be viewed not as a cost of doing business but as the price for gaining
access to society.
Companies that manipulate the tax rules to reduce or avoid paying tax
impoverish the society in which they operate both financially and ethically.
Good corporate citizenship requires the commercial world to fully engage in
society – by making a fair and equitable contribution to the tax receipts of a
nation and by paying its employees an appropriate living wage.
Think about this: You are a student and you have never worked. Do you
think you deserve free health and education?
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PAYING TAXES?

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Key difference: Secular means not concerned with or related to religion.
Religious means relating to or concerned with religion.
Secular means not related to religion, and does not concern with it. It is a
concept where a state or country prefers to be officially neutral in the matters
of religion.
There is no religious influence on the political decisions that are made by the
government for the benefit of the people. The people are not subjected to
religious rule by the government.
The government believes in the individual living of the people, where people
are not judged on the basis of their religion. There is no establishment of
religion in the state. All the citizens are treated as equals. The government
does not pressure people to understand all the rules and teachings of
religion.
Religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world
views that relate humanity to an order of existence.
Think about this: Give examples of holidays, ceremonies and traditions
influenced by Catholic Church in Spain?
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RELIGIOUS OR SECULAR SOCIETY

9. IES Jardín de Málaga
Part 2
Basic Points of democracy:
• Universal Suffrage.
• Separation of powers (executive, legislative and judiciary).
• Freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association.
• The rule of law.
• Human Rights.
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10. IES Jardín de Málaga
The concept of universal suffrage, also known as general suffrage or
common suffrage, consists of the right to vote of all adults, subject only to
minor exceptions. In any case, where universal suffrage exists, the right to
vote is not restricted by race, sex, belief, wealth, or social status.
Although it took or is taking a long time in many countries before women got
or get the right to run for office even after getting the right to vote, there are
still no commonly used clear terms to differentiate between these different
rights.
The meaning of universal suffrage has changed over time. Originally it was
used for the term universal male suffrage and even today the term is often
used to refer to historical or contemporary situations in which women had or
have the right to vote but not to run for office. It has also been used for
situations where there is a universal right to vote in elections but not run for
office.
In most countries, universal suffrage (the right to vote but not necessarily the
right to be a candidate) followed about a generation after universal male
suffrage. Notable exceptions in Europe were France, where women could not
vote until 1944, Greece (1952), and Switzerland (1971 in federal elections
and 1990 in all cantonal elections).
The concept of universal suffrage requires the right to vote to be granted to all
its residents. All countries, however, do not allow certain categories of citizens
to vote. All countries currently have a minimum age, usually coinciding with
the age of majority.
Think about this: Do you think citizens should be allowed to vote at the age
of 16?
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UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE. THE RIGHT TO VOTE

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Separation of Powers – Why Is It Necessary?
The separation of powers in a democracy is to prevent abuse of power and to
safeguard freedom for all.
The system of separation of powers divides the tasks of the state into three
branches: legislative, executive and judicial. These tasks are assigned to
different institutions in such a way that each of them can check the others. As
a result, no one institution can become so powerful in a democracy as to
destroy this system.
The Three Powers: Legislative, Executive, Judiciary
The Legislative Power
The first of the three powers has the task of passing laws and supervising
their implementation. It is exercised by Parliament citizens choose their
representatives in the parliament by suffrage.
The Executive Power
The executive branch has the task of implementing laws. It comprises the
Government and the President they control the police and the armed forces.
The Members of government are, as a rule, members of those parties which
have a majority in Parliament.
The Parliament and not the citizens choose the President of the Government.
The Judicial Power (Judiciary)
Judges administer justice, They decide disputes independently and
impartially. They are independent from the executive power. They obey the
laws not the government.
Think about this: Should judges obey the President of the Government?
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SEPARATION OF POWERS (LEGISLATIVE,
EXECUTIVE,JUDICIARY)

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Democracy recognizes that freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful
assembly and freedom of association are fundamental rights that form
the basis of the full enjoyment of rights, and are a cornerstone of
democratic societies, indispensable conditions for the full development
of the person and are at the heart of an active, free and engaged civil
society.
Freedom to manifest ones’ religion and belief may be enabled by the
exercise of freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and
freedom of association.
Safeguarding these rights and freedoms and supporting civil society
through them: sharing experiences and good practice amongst
members in developing human rights instruments and tools to advise
government, through human rights education of individuals and
institutions, through monitoring and research and through, where
appropriate, use of legal and regulatory powers to protect and promote
these rights.
A democratic country needs to ensure the protection of human rights
and defend and civil society.
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Freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful
assembly and freedom of association

13. IES Jardín de Málaga
The rule of law is a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions
and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to
laws .
Fairness in the application of the law, separation of powers, participation in
decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness and procedural
and legal transparency are the basis of democratic countries.
Estado de derecho es un principio de gobierno en el que todas las personas,
instituciones y entidades públicas o privadas, incluyendo el propio estado
tienen que rendir cuentas ante la ley.
La justicia y la aplicación de la ley, la separación de poderes, la participación
legal en la toma de decisiones, la seguridad jurídica, la trasparencia y evitar
arbitrariedades son la base de los estados democráticos.
Think about this: En la Constitución al rey no se le puede imputar ningún
delito. Just think about this!
TÍTULO II
De la Corona
Artículo 56
3. La persona del Rey es inviolable y no está sujeta a responsabilidad. Sus actos
estarán siempre refrendados en la forma establecida en el artículo 64, careciendo de
validez sin dicho refrendo, salvo lo dispuesto en el artículo 65, 2.
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THE RULE OF LAW

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Modern Democracies must respect the Human rights which we will study later
on.
Article number 1.
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”
Check the meaning of these words
References. Most texts have been copied and adapted from the following
websites.
• https://classroom.synonym.com/what-are-the-six-characteristics-of-a-
democracy-12083877.html
• http://debatewise.org/debates/2526-republic-or-monarchy/
• https://vittana.org/11-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-monarchyhttps://
www.reddit.com/r/eu4/comments/5jdqbe/monarchy_or_republic/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
• https://www.peoplecare.com.au/publicvsprivate
head of state jefe del estado tuition and fees matrícula y cuotas
elected elegido religious, secular religiosa, laico
right and left wing de derechas, de
izquierdas
impoverich empobrecer
job seeker allowance subsidio de desempleo ballot voto, papeleta
tax impuesto ballot box urna
wealth riquezas polling station colegio electoral
for profit con ánimo de lucro candidate candidato
accountable Que va a rendir cuentas check controlar (en este
contexto)
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