SPECIAL ISSUE
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Garrido López Carlos, Sáenz Royo Eva
    Razones para plantear la supresión del Senado
    in Cuadernos Manuel Giménez Abad , n. 7, junio ,  2014 ,  57-69
    In Federal States the powers of second chambers are being depleted. Even in some Federal States abolishing of the Senate is on the table. In unitary States the Senate is also questioned: several second chambers have been removed and its functionality is discussed. In Spain, however, we keep studying how to give more political power to the Senate, making it a "true" House of territorial representation. But it is an effort doomed to failure. And not just because the indeterminacy of the territorial model, separatist tendencies and doubts about their future that prevent any agreement or technical difficulties like new functions of the Senate and the way of selection of senators, but because the territorial representation is an illusion in a party democracy. In Federal States the Senate doesn't work as a territorial chamber and replays the same partisan dynamics of the first chamber. In practice, the reformed Senate would duplicate 'even hinder' political representation of the first chamber. And territorial integration functions, such as participation in state legislative decision and cooperation between the state and the autonomies, are feasible by intergovernmental relations with greater flexibility and efficiency and can be canalized through the party system. Promoting a constitutional Senate reform is not worth. It is time to consider the abolition of the Senate. Full text available online at http://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/4757529.pdf Download
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