ABSTRACT
Since 2008 Spain has experienced one of the most severe economic crises in its recent history. This crisis began and reached its full intensity during the period of the last Socialist government (2008-2011). At the end of this period, the incumbent party, the Partido Socialista Obrero Espan˜ol (PSOE) suffered its largest electoral defeat ever while the major opposition party, the conservative Partido Popular (PP) increased its share of the vote, as did several small state-wide parties such as the left-wing Izquierda Unida (IU) party and the new centrist party, the Unio´n Progreso y Democracia (UPyD). This article focuses on the electoral consequences of the Spanish economic crisis on vote choices in the 2011 general election. In what way were the two occurrences – the economic crisis and the fragmentation of the party system – related? More specifically, to what extent was the electoral defeat of the
202 P.C. Magalha˜es
incumbent Socialists due to voters making negative retrospective evaluations of the economic situation?
