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This book, written by three of the world's leading experts on Spanish politics, is the first comprehensive study of the origins and basic character of Spain's democratic political system. It analyzes the regime's core political institutions, its political parties and party systems, patterns of electoral behavior, the evolution of Spain's political culture, and the impact of these social and institutional changes on public policy processes and outputs.

The authors survey those aspects of Spanish society and politics that had contributed to the country's inability to sustain a stable and democratic regime prior to the 1970s. They argue that the successful transition to and consolidation of democracy was made possible by socioeconomic modernization, cultural change, and by decisions made by political elites in the establishment of core democratic institutions and the conduct of electoral competition. This book is based on over 500 hours of interviews with Spanish political elites, extensive analyses of survey data, and other original research.