The legislative agenda setting in spain from 1979 to 2015

Abstract

This article analyzes the legislative production of the Cortes Generales in ten legislatures from the approach of the “agenda setting” by considering the institutional and partisan dimensions. It is studied the development of the legislative agenda paying attention to origin of bills by type and actor, the activity in committee and in the Senate. It is observed a great legislative renewal in the period, although the number of proposals is not very high in comparative terms. The government is the main agenda setter through bills and decree-laws. The minority parties use their initiative capacity as a resource of their opposition strategy. Nationalist parties manage to be veto players with minority governments thanks to their central position in the left-right dimension.