Spanish Political System Flashcards
What did the Spanish believe in?
The Spanish believed in the Divine Right of Kings, a doctrine stating that only God could give someone the right to rule.
What was THE CORTES?
A Spanish parliament
What was its purpose and how did it work?
Any legislation had to be approved by the Cortes to ensure the new laws would be in the best interest of the country.
When was the The Cortes established?
The 8th century to keep the power of the monarchs under control
What did The Cortes control?
The Cortes controlled the national treasury, and the king or queen was required to get approval for all major expenditures
What did Ferdinand and Isabella reduce?
Reduced the power of the aristocracy by having men from humbler origins, not from the aristocracy, selected for the Cortes
What did Ferdinand and Isabella allow?
Allowed nobles to participate in parliamentary proceedings, but not vote
What did Ferdinand and Isabella reorganize?
Reorganized important financial and judicial institutions so the monarchy had more control
What did Ferdinand and Isabella centralize?
Centralized the powers of the government under a Council of State, a Council of Finance, and a Council of Justice
What did Ferdinand and Isabella do after the loss of the political pwr?
Ferdinand and Isabella granted the aristocrats huge tracts of land and exempted them from paying taxes on these holding
What happened to the merchant class?
The cities became more successful, although they were not as powerful as the merchant class in many other parts of Europe, such as Italy or the Netherlands.
What did Ferdinand and Isabella gain?
Ferdinand and Isabella gained the support of the merchants and townspeople by making changes to financial institutions that helped them with their business activities and by promising them protection
What did Ferdinand and Isabella send?
Ferdinand and Isabella sent in their own representatives to govern cities and tax the residents
What were Local officials responsible for?
Local officials were directly responsible for the monarchy. In this way, the monarchs stopped the cities from becoming too independent and powerful
Why were the merchants taxed heavily?
They also taxed merchants very heavily because the nobles were exempt from paying taxes.
Who was closely linked to the monarchy?
The Roman Catholic Church was often closely linked to the monarchy
What did the pope have the authority to do?
The pope had the authority to ask members of the clergy to oppose royal actions or decrees
What did Ferdinand and Isabella understand?
Ferdinand and Isabella understood they had to have control over the Church if they wanted complete control in governing Spain. They knew that to control the Church, they needed to be able to place individuals of their own choosing in important Church positions
What happened on 1486?
In 1486, Pope Innocent VIII gave Ferdinand and Isabella the right to choose whomever they wanted to fill Church positions.
What were the Aztecs doing compared to the Spanish?
While the Aztecs were establishing their empire, the Spanish were fighting the last 100 years of the Reconquista.
What happened on 1479?
In 1479, towards the end of the Reconquista, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella married. They wanted greater powers for the monarchy. During their reign,
they increased the powers of the throne and decreased the powers of the Cortes
Who controlled the centralized gov’t?
Ferdinand & Isabella controlled the centralized gov’t
What did Ferdinand & Isabella create?
Created a more efficient government bureaucracy
What did Ferdinand & Isabella impose?
Imposed new taxes
