Stabilising the democratic order: Electoral behaviour in Spain

Among the many incognita which face new democracies, electoral stabilisation and party institutionalisation are of particular significance. This analysis discusses the major features and factors which have contributed to the establishment of increasingly stable relations between Spanish parties and voters. It examines continuities in the most important indicators of electoral behaviour, the mechanisms which have served to anchor support for the parties, and the constraining impact of the electoral system on party competition. Despite appearances to the contrary, Spanish voters have long been firmly rooted in specific ideological spaces, their electoral preferences have undoubtedly become stabilised, and electoral competition has followed predictable patterns