Despite the widespread attention attracted by Spain's remarkable transition from General Franco's repressive dictatorship to a dynamic democracy, this is the first comprehensive study in English of the new Spanish political system. The book introduces the main institutions and features of the contemporary Spanish state and assesses to what extent these still bear the imprint of the Francoist legacy. Despite some remaining obstacles and difficulties, Paul Heywood argues, the country is now decisively in the political mainstream of the new Europe.

This book explores why some people become politicians, how they represent citizens in parliaments, and what they think about democracy and its institutions. It analyses the results of the first survey of a representative sample of Spanish MPs (580 cases) and citizens. The study covers areas such as: social profiles; recruitment and selection; women in parliaments; motivation for politics; perception of the representative function and how this is affected by corruption, disaffection and mistrust; national and regional identities; ideology; the functioning of parliamentary groups, and perceptions about the EU. The case of Spain is used to demonstrate how MPs' values, opinions and attitudes conflict and complement with those of the citizens they are supposed to represent. Through a systematic comparison between MPs and citizens, the contributions deal with topics that are key to understanding how democracies work and the role played by MPs.

With a focus predominantly on the two governments of José Maria Aznar between 1996 and 2004, and the José Luis Zapatero government after 2004, this book provides an introduction for students of Spain's history and its contemporary politics.

Essay from the year 2017 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 5.50, Anglia Ruskin University, language: English, abstract: Spain was established as a social and democratic state, respecting the rule of law and advocating higher goals: establishment of the legal order, protecting freedom, justice, equality on all base and pluralism in politics. The people of Spain have their national sovereignty – from it are derived the powers of the state as such. Parliamentary monarchy is the political form of the Spanish state. The King is the symbol of the unity and perseverance of its country. As such he supervises the everyday functioning of the institutions. In the present paper, I will investigate the political system of Spain, its benefits, and flaws, as well as the future challenges posed in front of the country.

Contemporary Spain is virtually unrecognisable compared with what it was like when General Franco died in 1975. Since 1975 the country has undergone a dramatic political transformation. This book provides the first comprehensive assessment of the government and politics of democratic Spain, setting its distinctive features in both historical and comparative context. The book pays particular attention to the devolved and regional character of Spanish government, the role of the monarchy and the constitution and the evolution of the political parties since the downfall of the dictatorship.

Contemporary Spanish Politics gives fresh insight into the formal and informal workings of this dynamic southern European democracy. It thoroughly discusses the history, politics, institutions, parties, economy and foreign policy of Spain at an introductory level ideal for an undergraduate audience. Each chapter provides a research-based overview of the studied topic which can then be used as the basis for further research by students. The key themes of the book are: recent history of Spain after Franco's death the political culture of the country the institutional framework foreign policy including the reaction to the global anti-terrorist coalition the policy making process and the system of interest intermediation the party system and electoral process the dynamics of regional politics (emphasizing Catalan, Basque and Galician nationalism) the political economy the external relations of the country within and towards the European Union, the Mediterranean and Latin America.