subject: Essential Info About Politics In Portugal [print this page] Portuguese politics managed at a number of various levels. The particular constitution and the laws comprised the first level. This formal structure in government usually appeared rigid, legalistic, and dense, particularly towards outsiders. Yet, these constitutional and legal structures had been much more apparent and more simply recognized than the other levels of the Portuguese system of government.
The second level consisted of political parties and interest groups. Because of the legalistic tradition, a strict parting existed within Portugal in between of the formal governmental system and the world associated with political parties and interest groups. Portuguese tended to adhere to their formal system of government but to degrade political parties and interest groups. As Portuguese democracy prospered from the 1980s, nevertheless, political parties and interest groups obtained higher acceptance as a fundamental element of the program of government.
Unlike these first couple of levels, the third level of Portuguese politics was largely unseen and ended up being one of the most tough to outsiders to penetrate and understand. This particular level consisted of the actual informal contacts, family relationships, interpersonal ties, kinships, and patronage networks which were so much the center of the Portuguese political system. Rarely been vocal of or described by the Portuguese, did these interactions allow the Portuguese system to function and to reduce through vast levels of red tape.
Most of the informal networks that had prolonged steered Portuguese affairs were seriously interrupted through the Revolution of 1974 when many displaced their property and their positions. On the other hand, several networks were regained within succeeding years, and others were formed through the making new of completely new political and economic affairs. Knowledge of this particular third level of Portuguese politics had been essential for the full knowledge of the formal and also the informal dynamics within the Portuguese political system.
Since the formation on the democratic republic and its constitution in 1976, four main political parties surfaced; the PCP (Partida Comunista Portugus), PS (Partido Socialista), PPD/PSD (Partido Popular Democratico/Partido Social Democrtica) and CDS (Centro Democrtica Social). The PS and the PSD control the national and regional governments and also have related base politics, each with concentration on market economic system and pro- Europe. The President is actually chosen for five years, is actually the commander in chief of the armed forces, and may work two sequential terms. The other primary elements of the government would be the the Assembly of the Republic and Council of Ministers and the judiciary. The parliament includes 230 members who serve 4-year terms and are elected using a form of proportional representation. The two main independent zones of the Azores and Madeira have had their own legislative power and governments ever since 1976, and distribute legislative proposals to the Portuguese Parliament (Assembleia da Republica).
