Evolution of the democratic political culture in Spain

Abstract

This article analyzes the evolution of the preference for democracy in Spanish society, focusing on whether it is uniform across the population, and if dissatisfaction with democracy is affecting its acceptance and causing changes in the political culture. The hypothesis is that, while a large majority have a preference for democracy, it is not uniform, and differences in attitudes toward democracy are related to age, education, social class, partisan preference and location on the ideological scale. To test this hypothesis, a quantitative methodology is used, based on past surveys carried out by Spain’s Centre for Sociological Research, which include an indicator measuring preference for different types of political regimes. After carrying out a series of empirical analyses of the survey data, the hypothesis is confirmed.