Spanish Restoration Politics: Oligarchy and Caciquismo (1902)

Oligarchy and Caciquismo: Political Commentary (1902)

Source Analysis and Nature of the Text

The text presented is a piece of political commentary titled Oligarchy and Caciquismo, dated 1902, placing it within the historical period of the Spanish Restoration. As it originates from the time period it describes, it is considered a primary source.

Key Concepts Defined

• Oligarchy: A form of government in which supreme power is held by a small group of people.
• Caciquismo: A system of local government characterized by a political leader (the cacique) who exercises total dominance over rural society, often expressed as political patronage.

Historical Context and Key Figures

These forms of government were prevalent in Spain during the Restoration period, particularly under the regency of Alfonso XII. The political system was largely engineered by two influential figures:

• Antonio Cánovas del Castillo: A Spanish politician and historian, he was the principal architect of the Restoration political system and the leader of the Conservative Party.
• Práxedes Mateo Sagasta: A civil engineer and Spanish politician, known for his rhetorical skills and leadership of the Liberal Party.

Cánovas, belonging to the Conservative Party, and Sagasta, the liberal, were central figures in this political structure.

The Author: Joaquín Costa and Regenerationism

The author, Joaquín Costa, was a prominent politician, lawyer, economist, and historian. He was the greatest representative of Regenerationism, an intellectual movement dedicated to reflecting upon the causes of Spain's national decline.

Contextualization of the Restoration Political System

The political system of the Restoration was characterized by a process fundamentally different from modern democratic practices. The system ensured that the ruling parties maintained control through manipulated elections.

The Electoral Mechanism and Fraud

When Cánovas or Sagasta were summoned by the King to form a government, they had to ensure their party won the subsequent elections. To achieve this, they prepared an electoral process known as the encasillado (the box). This was an agreement between the political forces that negotiated and divided the constituencies, effectively undermining universal male suffrage.

The elections relied heavily on the influence of local chiefs (caciques) and the oligarchs. Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as pucherazo (ballot stuffing or rigging), was practiced in case the agreement between the parties failed to secure the desired outcome.

Crucially, under this system, the opinion of the people and their votes were rendered unimportant in the selection of their representatives.