Government System in Madrid

The Spanish Constitution of 1978 authorized the creation of several Autonomous Communities within Spain.

It granted them authority over many aspects of local schools, universities, regional planning, and traffic control.

These communities were further divided into provinces, although some consist of only one province.

The Autonomous Community of Madrid, of which the city of Madrid is the capital, contains a single province.

Like the other autonomous communities with only one province, there is no separate provincial government.

The city of Madrid has a city council and mayor, both of which are popularly elected.

All Spaniards 18 years of age and older are entitled to vote, and the voter turnout is usually high.

Each member of the city council also serves as the city administrator for a particular area of government—for example, culture, police, taxation, or education.

The Autonomous Community of Madrid has an elected regional parliament similar to many European legislatures.

The regional parliament elects a president who heads the regional government.

A cabinet of ministers assists the president with the various administrative subdivisions of the autonomous community’s government. Most offices have four-year terms.