Twisted Modernization
The Political Economy of Contemporary Spain
Will be published approx. on 30. November 2026
Book
Hardback
225 pages
978-1-009-72942-0 (ISBN)
Description
As pointed out by the editors of this unusual volume, studying the development of contemporary Spain is important to understand the challenges, dynamics and limits of political and economic modernization. The contributors of Twisted Modernization bring the theoretical and methodological toolkit of modern political economy to study Spain's long run economic (industrialization) and institutional (capacity, constitutions) processes, the evolution of its economic, political and judicial elites, and how the country's institutional legacies condition its democracy and economic outcomes to this day. Including work from over a dozen of well-known specialists and grounded in novel and systematic data, this volume provides a sober assessment of both the country's achievements and worrying future challenges. It offers key insights on the causes of democratization and growth in general and provides a model for further research on the trajectories of other countries. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Reviews / Votes
'Twisted Modernization offers a timely and clear-eyed account of Spain's uneven path to modernity. It unpacks how deep institutional legacies, political fragmentation and regional tensions have shaped and constrained the country's development. But its insights extend well beyond Spain. This volume is a sharp, comparative reflection on why some democracies struggle to translate modernization into inclusive and sustained progress. It's essential reading for scholars of political economy, European politics and institutional reform in advanced democracies.' Catherine E. De Vries, Generali Chair in European Policies at Bocconi University 'Beramendi and Boix's fascinating new volume offers an analytically sharp perspective on Spain's uneven experience of political and economic modernization. Their fresh theoretical framing and the original studies of the first-rate set of contributors place Spain's successes and disappointments in new light, providing stimulating theoretical insights for students of comparative development. In the best tradition of cutting-edge political economy, the volume's analysis deftly weaves together economic and political history.' Robert M. Fishman, Carlos III University, MadridMore details
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
approx. 11/2026
Cambridge University Press
€42.50
Not yet published
Persons
Pablo Beramendi is Professor of Political Science at Duke University. His publications include several books such as The Political Geography of Inequality (2012); the Politics of Advanced Capitalism (2015-co-edited), Geography, Capacity and Inequality (2022) and over twenty articles in leading scientific journals. Prof. Beramendi is the recipient of several APSA awards, an Associate Member at Nuffield College (Oxford) and a Senior Fellow at the Institutions and Political Research Group at the University of Barcelona. Carles Boix is the Robert Garrett Professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University. His publications include several books such as Democratic Capitalism at the Crossroads, Political Order and Inequality, and Democracy and Redistribution, and over thirty articles in leading scientific journals. Prof. Boix has received the William Riker award for the best book on political economy twice have and the Heinz Eulau award for best article published in the American Political Science Review twice. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Director of the Institutions and Political Research Group at the University of Barcelona.
Content
1. Twisted modernization: an introduction Pablo Beramendi and Carles Boix; 2. Gerschenkron in the peninsula: Spain?s paths to industrialization Carles Boix; 3. Industrialization and labour quality Jordi Domenech and Alfonso Herranz-Loncan; 4. Taxation, debt, and political fragmentation: Spain's fiscal underdevelopment Pablo Beramendi and Didac Queralt; 5. Constitutions: exclusion, collusion, and inclusion Ignacio Sanchez-Cuenca; 6. Who governs? Regime change and the power of business, military and political elites in 20th century Spain Alvaro La Parra-Perez and Victoria Paniagua; 7. Money and political influence: the political economy of Spanish banks Guillermo Rosas and Sebastian Lavezzolo; 8. Judicial politics and bureaucracies in Spain Joan-Josep Vallbe; 9. Media and democracy Pablo Fernandez-Vazquez, Amuitz Garmendia Madariaga, and Pedro Riera; 10. Corruption Jordi Munoz and Pilar Sorribas-Navarro; 11. Inequality in the long run: roots and challenges Pablo Beramendi and Luis Guirola; 12. A demographic cliff Alicia Adsera and Mariona Lozano; 13. Territorial conflict in Spain: individual preferences and institutions Francesc Amat and Laia Balcells; 14. Twisted modernization: conclusions Pablo Beramendi and Carles Boix.