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Is there a Disjunction between the Political Rhetoric that Divides Spain in Two Distinctive Political Ideologies (Left vs. Right) and the actual Response on the Ground? A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at George Mason University, and the degree of Master of Arts at the University of Malta by Patricia Gutiérrez Sierra Bachelor of Arts George Mason University, 1987 Director: Solon J. Simmons, Professor School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Fall Semester 2013 George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia University of Malta Valletta, Malta This work is licensed under a creative commons attribution-noderivs 3.0 unported license. ii DEDICATION A mi abuela por enseñarme el significado de la compassion y la lealtad, a mi padre por enseñarme la importancia de los principios y el conociemiento y a mi madre por mostrarme la fuerza interior y que los sueños se hacen realidad iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is an honor to acknowledge the persons who made possible this dissertation. First and foremost I would like to give my most sincere thanks to my English teacher, Zelda Zerafa, as without her valuable assistance I would not have been able to write the given dissertation. A sincere thank you to Michael D. English for always being there when I needed him and for his valuable comments on the thesis. I would like to thank in a very special way all the participants in this study for their openness and trust throughout the research without whom this dissertation would have not been possible. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii List of Abbreviations or Symbols .................................................................................... viii Abstract ............................................................................................................................ viii Chapter 1: Basic Realities in Global Context ..................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction .............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.2 Debt ........................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Social Capital ......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.4 1.4 Paradigms ................................................................................................................ 23 i A Proportionate Electoral Law ................................................................................ 27 ii Open Lists ............................................................................................................... 28 iii Primaries for the Candidates ................................................................................. 28 iv Revocation of Mandate .......................................................................................... 29 v Popular Initiative and Referendum ......................................................................... 29 vi Participatory Budgeting ......................................................................................... 30 vii Memories of Participation .................................................................................... 30 viii Deliberative ‘Assemblies’ ................................................................................... 30 ix Transparency Act ................................................................................................... 31 x The Accounts of the Royal House .......................................................................... 32 xi Access to the Accounts of the Parties .................................................................... 33 xii The Assets of Politicians ...................................................................................... 33 xiii Full-Time Deputies ............................................................................................. 33 xiv Unprivileged Politicians ...................................................................................... 34 xv Corruption without Prescription ........................................................................... 34 xvi Limits of Gifts ..................................................................................................... 34 xvii Some ERE without Public Money ...................................................................... 35 xviii Housing Payment .............................................................................................. 35 v xix Anti-Tax Havens Registration ............................................................................. 35 xx ‘Tobin’ Rate .......................................................................................................... 36 v Fair Taxation ........................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 2: Spain in Crisis ................................................................................................. 37 2.1 Political Crisis ......................................................................................................... 37 i ERE – Left Wing – PSOE ....................................................................................... 40 ii Barcenas – Right Wing – PP .................................................................................. 42 2.2 The Transition in Crisis ........................................................................................... 44 i Bad Governance of the Second Republic ................................................................ 49 ii The Assassination of Calvo Sotelo ......................................................................... 50 iii Fascists’ Support ................................................................................................... 50 iv The Two Spains ..................................................................................................... 51 v Civilian Monarchists ............................................................................................... 52 vi The Defense of the Church .................................................................................... 52 vii No Communist Revolution ................................................................................... 53 viii A Plan of Conquest of Power and War ............................................................... 54 ix Red Terror ............................................................................................................. 54 x The USSR ............................................................................................................... 55 Chapter 3: Mapping Contentious Politics in Spain .......................................................... 59 3.1 A New Cycle of Protest in Spain ............................................................................ 59 3.2 Deprivation .............................................................................................................. 69 3.3 Needs ....................................................................................................................... 75 i Security .................................................................................................................... 77 ii Identity .................................................................................................................... 77 iii Personal Development .......................................... 7Error! Bookmark not defined. iv Recognition ........................................................... 7Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.4 Structural Violence .................................................................................................. 79 3.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 85 Appendix A ....................................................................................................................... 90 References ....................................................................................................................... 105 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 1 Public and Private Debt in Relation with GDP 1994-2011 .................................. 8 Figure 2 Poverty Taxes in Some European Countries ...................................................... 12 Figure 3 Volume of Empty Houses and House Price Development ................................. 17 Figure 4 Votes Needed by Each Political Party to Obtain a Seat in Parliament ............... 28 Figure 5 Who should decide the candidates in the political parties? ................................ 29 Figure 6 Map: Transparency Law in the EU .................................................................... 32 Figure 7 Protest on the 23rd of February ........................................................................... 39 Figure 8 Politic Situation .................................................................................................. 39 Figure 9 Yayoflaut@s a SM found through Spain .......... 5Error! 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