The economic role of the State on the Spanish democratization and "development" process. A case of success?

Abstract

This paper analyses and discusses, from a political economy perspective, the long period of the Spanish economy, starting at the end of the Civil War and ending in 1993, being our final goal to establish whether what happened in that period of time in Spain can be characterized as a “success.” The analysis is initiated in 1936 when a military uprising led by General Franco, successfully won a civil war and becoming in a military dictatorship regime, which extended itself until 1975. After the dead of General Franco in 1975, though with much pain, a transition to a democratic regimen was initiated, being a first millstone the new Constitution of 1978. Since then the new regime was associated to an economic development with no precedents, despite economic and political crisis periods. We end in 1993, when a cycle or sub-period is over, a new economic crisis starts and Spain culminates its entrance at the European Union and, particularly, at the Monetary and Economic Union what, as it is well known, means the assumption of the Euro as a currency with a substantial change on the political and social policies role.