Cuatro décadas del sistema electoral español, 1977-2016

Abstract

The electoral system for the Spanish Congress of Deputies has celebrated four decades. Created in 1977, constitutionalized in 1978, and institutionalized in 1985, it has been used in thirteen general elections without undergoing any reform process. In this article, we assess the Spanish electoral system, including the recent 2015 and 2016 elections. Thereby, it addresses its choice, its constitutive elements, its main effects in both the inter-party and intra-party dimensions, some of the many proposals that have been suggested to reform it, and some controversial decisions taken by the Constitutional Court.