Electoral Coordination Strikes Again: The 2008 General Election in Spain

Abstract: This paper analyses the results of the 2008 general election in Spain. Using individual and aggregate data, we show that in 2008 voters' behaviour does not differ much from the previous national election in 2004. This indicates a certain level of continuity since 1993, with the exception of 2000 when the conservative Partido Popular gained an absolute majority due to an unusually low turnout. The 2008 elections also confirm the crucial role played by electoral coordination, resulting in an increasing concentration of votes in the two dominant parties of the system.