Agenda dynamics in Spain

Spanish politics has evolved from a consensual democracy with a focus on consolidating democratic rule to one where political parties increasingly polarize around ideologically rigid positions of Left and Right. No government seems able to resolve fundamental social conflicts relating to economic growth, relations with the regions, the EU and the Church. Members of Parliament are regularly sidelined compared to the Prime Minister, even as the regional governments and the European Union increasingly make important policy decisions in a growing number of policy domains.

Tracing political history from the transition to democracy to the present, this book provides a new look at Spanish politics, based on a policy agendas approach. Students, academics and those interested in policy change and institutional design over the long term, will all fund the book of interest.

Contents:

Part I: Theory and Methods
1. Policy dynamics in democratic Spain
2. Data and methods

Part II: The Dynamics of Political Institutions in Spain
3. Broken promises
4. The content of the government-opposition game
5. Media and politics in Spain

Part III: Policy Issues in an Agenda-Dynamics Approach
6. The politics of decentralization
7. Europeanization
8. Framing the abortion debate

Part IV: Conclusions
9. Transformations in Spanish politics, 1982-2013

Spanish politics has been transformed. Using new techniques, this book looks at 30 years of Spanish political history to understand party competition, the impact of the EU, media-government relations, aspirations for independence in Catalonia and the Basque region, and the declining role of religion.