Suchergebnisse

Southern European social democratic parties came to power in the early 1980s while northern social democrats were suffering from a severe political and ideological crisis. However, soon after taking power it was apparent that the southern parties had not escaped the crisis and that the political and ideological dilemmas were even greater than in the north. This article examines the record of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) while in government (1982-1987) and attempts to explain its surprising political success during a period in which the Socialists abandoned much of the social democratic content of their 1982 electoral program. It argues that the historical legacy of the PSOE, peculiarities of the post-1982 party system, the internal politics of the Socialist party, and the charisma of party leader Felipe González, reduced the political costs associated with dramatic political economic and foreign policy reversals. However, after abandoning its social democratic platform, the PSOE now faces a political and ideological crisis similar to that plaguing its West European counterparts.

Compares the southern and northern European social democratic movement.

Democratization from authoritarian rule has been an important focus of scholarly interest in the 1980s. However, no typology of democratic transitions currently exists. This article introduces a typology of transitions from authoritarianism to democracy with four major types: incremental democratization, transition through rupture, transition through protracted revolutionary struggle, and transition through transaction. The remainder of the article discusses the conditions for one type of democratic transition, transition through transaction, in Spain (1975-1978). As the Spanish case suggests, the conditions for this type of transition are quite different from those required for other forms of transition. The summary discussion of the Spanish case is divided into a consideration of the conditions for the initiation of transition through transaction, and an examination of the conditions for the implementation of transition through transaction. Both sections emphasize the crucial role of elite attitudes and skill in transitions through transaction.

This article explores the Spanish franquist regime's attempts to resolve a succession crisis, as the death of Francisco Franco appeared imminent in the late 1960's. It argues that Franco established the mechanisms for a smooth succession to the posts of head of state and head of government. However, these mechanisms failed to achieve Franco's major goal: the continuation of authoritarian rule after his death. Ironically, Franco's apparently ingenious "solution" to the dilemmas of succession facilitated a democratic transition that would have horrified the dictator.

Bei der Analyse der Faktoren, die die auf den Parteitag von 1976 folgende Entwicklung der Spanischen Sozialistischen Arbeiterpartei (PSOE) zu einer sozialdemokratischen Partei beeinflußt haben, sind drei wesentliche Faktoren hervorzuheben: (1) die strukturelle Schwäche der Partei; (2) die Wählergunst für eine gemäßigte Strategie; (3) die aus dem Übergang vom Franquismus zum Parlamentarismus rührenden Zwänge. Die Auswirkungen der Sozialdemokratisierung der PSOE auf die innerparteiliche Entwicklung sowie die Stabilisierung der spanischen Demokratie werden dargestellt. (AuD-Hng)