The March 2000 Spanish election: A 'critical election'?

West European Politics

Volumn 23, Issue 3, 2000, Pages 207-214

  Chari, Raj S ^a  

^a TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN   (Ireland)

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EID: 11244252613     PISSN: 01402382     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/01402380008425393     Document Type: Article

References (17)

1. Legislative support refers to the idea of informal agreement between the minority government (PSOE in 1993 and PP in 1996) and the smaller regional parties (CiU and PNV) that held the balance of power in the House. It is important to note than neither 1993 nor 1996 witnessed coalition governments where the smaller parties held governmental posts. All members of the core executive (that is, President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Secretaries) were from the Socialist Party (1993-1996) and the Popular Party (1996-2000). For a comprehensive account of the electoral and party system in Spain, see P. Heywood, The Government and Politics of Spain (London: MacMillan 1995), pp. 165-214.
2. El Pais, 1 March 2000.
3. The Spanish (PR) electoral system is based on the D'Hondt method.
4. ABC, 13 March 2000, p.15.
5. ElMundo, 13 March 2000, p.1.
6. El Pais, 13 March 2000, p.23.
7. Diario 16, 13 March 2000, p. 18.
8. G. Evans and P. Norris (eds.). Critical Elections - British'Parties and Voters in Long-Term Perspective (London: Sage 1999), p.xxxi.
9. Critical Elections - British'Parties and Voters in Long-Term Perspective Ibid., pp.xxvi-xxxi.
10. Discussing the magnitude of the 1982 PSOE victory and collapse of the UCD, Blondel and Eseverri Hualde argue that 'the upset resulting from the 1982 Spanish election is greater than at any time anywhere in Western Europe since World War 2' and that the 1982 election 'is thus a landmark in European electoral history'. J. Blondel and E. Eseverri Hualde, 'The Spanish General Elections of 1982', Electoral Studies 2/1 (April 1983), pp.77-8.
11. Turnout since 1979 has been as follows: 1979, 68.04%; 1982, 79.97%; 1986, 70.94%; 1989, 69.74%; 1993, 76.44%; 1996,77.38%; 2000, 69.98%. See El Pais, 13 March 2000, p.15.
12. J.M. Molins and J.M. Vallès, 'The Spanish General Election of 1989', Electoral Studies 9/3 (Sept. 1990), p.248.
13. See Blondel and Eseverri Hualde, 'The Spanish General Elections of 1982'.
14. On the 1993 election, Lancaster notes that 'somewhat unexpected given the closeness
15. projected by so many public opinion polls, the PSOE received almost 4% more votes than the PP', and Vallès notes that 'Thanks to the high turnout ... the PSOE substantially limited its losses'. T.D. Lancaster, 'A New Phase for Spanish Democracy? The General Election of June 1993', West European Politics 17/1 (Jan. 1994), p.185;
16. and J.M. Vallès, 'The Spanish General Election of 1993', Electoral Studies 13/1 (1994), p.90. 15.
17. On the 1996 election Gillespie notes that 'the Socialists did far better than predicted ... helped by high turnout'. R. Gillespie, The Spanish General Election of 1996', Electoral Studies 15/3 (Aug. 1996), pp.428-9.