Spain versus Indian Constitutions

This paper should be 4-5 pages long and it should be double-spaced, using a 12-font. Please, make sure to number the pages.

• Describe the Constitution of Spain and the Constitution of your native country. In this paper your main task is to compare and contrast the constitution of Spain with the constitution of your native country. We used Spain as one of our case studies in class when we talked about federalism. Here is the constitution of Spain:
• Compare and Contrast the two Constitutions: This part of your paper should include some of your own thinking and analysis. Compare all three previous sections: (a) national ideals, (b) government structure, and (c) civil and minority rights. Which country seems to you to have a better constitution and why? Is the biggest difference in the national ideals, in the government structure or in the rights? Where do you see the biggest differences? Why do you think they exist? Is there any pressure in your own country to change some parts of the constitution? Spain has been recently moving toward more federalism and even independence (Catalonia province) – is there a similar trend in your own country? If so, why? Are there some things you would like to see in your native country’s constitution and why?
• Conclusion: wrap up your main argument – why you believe that one country’s constitution is superior/ better/more advanced than the other – and say why.

https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Spain_2011.pdf?lang=en

Here is the constitution of Pakistan:

http://na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1333523681_951.pdf

Here is the constitution of India:

https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/constitution-india/constitution-india-full-text

Here is the constitution of Mongolia:

https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Mongolia_2001.pdf?lang=en

Looking at the constitutions, describe the following three areas in your own words:

• A Statement of National Ideals (p. 74 of your textbook)
• Structure of Government (p.74 of your textbook)
• Civil Rights and Minority Rights (p.75 to 76 of your textbook)

Usually included in the Preamble, national ideals are values, goals and aspirations of a nation. What kind of a nation are we in terms of ethnic and religious identity, history, culture, political ideology, what kind of society do we aim for, what kind of social and economic order do we believe in, what kind of relations do we want to have with our neighbors, etc. In this part of your paper, try to identify at least three (3) important pillars of Spain’s national ideals and identity and describe them in your own words. Do the same for your native country’s constitution (6 important pillars total).

A Constitution is also a blueprint for governing a country. It defines the authority and limits the powers of each branch. In this part of your paper you want to zoom onto the part of constitution which deals with “government structure”. How is power divided in Spain and in your native country? Is it divided between the Parliament and the President/Monarch or not? If power is divided, does the constitution give the executive branch (Prime Minister, Cabinet) more power or does it give more power to the legislative branch Parliament/Congress? Does the country have a unitary of a federal system or some combination of both? How is power divided between the central government, regional, and local governments? If the country is unitary, does the constitution give some power/autonomy to smaller units like counties? How are members of the government to be elected? Is it a democratic system or does it just have some democratic features? Again, in this part of your paper you should select three (3)aspects of the “Structure of Government” which you find important and describe them in your own words. You should do this for Spain and for your native country (6 aspects total).

Lastly, tell us something about what kind of civil liberties and rights are guaranteed in the constitution of Spain and in the constitution of your native country. What kinds of rights do citizens of Spain have? What about resident aliens? In addition to fundamental human and civil rights, do the citizens of Spain also have economic and/or social rights and if so, what kind? You can revisit this typology of rights (human rights, civil rights, economic and social rights) on p.76 of your textbook. Does the constitution include any group rights such as minority rights or gender rights – rights related to being a member of a specific group of people? If so, what kind? Again, try to focus on three (3) areas of rights and describe what they are in your own words. Do that for Spain and your native country (6 areas total).