# Part 05: Relations between Government and Cortes Generales
**Articles: 108-116**

## Core Idea
Establishes mechanisms for cooperation and tension between the executive and legislative branches, ensuring the Government can function effectively while remaining accountable to parliamentary control.

## Frameworks Introduced
- **Legislative Initiative**: Government, Congress, Senate, Autonomous Communities, and citizens (500,000+) can propose laws
- **Decree-Laws**: Government may issue provisional legislative measures in extraordinary and urgent cases (Art. 86)
- **Legislative Delegation**: Cortes may authorize Government to issue legislative norms on specific matters (Art. 82-85)

## Key Concepts
- **Government Legislative Initiative**: Primary source of bills (Art. 87.1)
- **Decree-Law Validation**: Must be validated by Congress within 30 days (Art. 86.3)
- **Organic Law Limits**: Cannot be delegated to Government (Art. 82.1)
- **Congress Oversight**: Government must provide information to Cortes (Art. 109)

## Mental Models
- Use **decree-laws as exceptional tool** — not a substitute for normal legislative process
- Think of **delegation as efficiency mechanism** — allows technical regulation without full parliamentary debate

## Anti-patterns
- **Routine decree-laws**: Using emergency procedure for non-urgent matters
- **Blank delegation**: Delegating legislative power without clear limits

## Key Takeaways
1. Government is primary but not exclusive source of legislation
2. Decree-laws allow urgent action but require Congressional validation
3. Legislative delegation must be specific and limited
4. Government must be transparent with Cortes
5. balance of power favors Parliament in legislative matters

## Connects To
- **Part 03**: Legislative procedures and Cortes functions
- **Part 04**: Government structure and powers