A Great Family of Sovereign Men: Democratic Discourse in Nineteenth-Century Spain

Abstract

The article analyses how nineteenth-century Spanish Democrats understood democracy, what were the issues at stake, how they were debated, and how political and social discourses evolved. It focuses on Democrats' conceptions of citizenship, freedom, equality, sovereignty, political activity and the nation, as well as on their ideas on the most convenient form of government and organization of the State. It traces the process through which their original idea of democracy as an active and immediate exercise of power evolved into another centred on the control and limitation of power and the promotion of individual autonomy. It finally points out their holistic vision of society and their difficulty accepting a plurality of interests and parties, which had considerable influence on their political practice and their attempts at self-organization.

When electors raised their voices: political representation in nineteenth-century Spain from a conceptual perspective

“…Therefore, the linkage between the electors and the deputies should be stronger. 32 Moreover, the Moderate's electoral law of 1846 established only those who made direct taxable contributions worth 12,000 reales (Spain's currency at the time) were eligible to be deputies while those who paid 400 reales could be enfranchised. In contrast, under the Progressives' 1837 rule there were no specific restrictions to becoming a deputy beyond being considered a citizen.…”