Article
Details
Citation
Palacios Cerezales D (2010) Repressive Legacies and the Democratisation of Iberian Police Systems. South European Society and Politics, 15 (3), p. 429–448. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13608746.2010.513603#.UfJSRNKyBjQ; https://doi.org/10.1080/13608746.2010.513603
Abstract
Literature on democratisation claims that the dictatorship's police forces are difficult to reform and that modes of transition and authoritarian legacies are linked. It predicts that a continuous transition will leave greater legacies than a discontinuous one. This paper analyses the police reforms during democratisation in Spain and Portugal, comparing them in several dimensions: symbolic changes, demilitarisation, decentralisation, accountability, professionalisation and new service role. In both countries a democratic police was built; yet, contrary to predictions, the Spanish police underwent a faster and deeper reform than the Portuguese, a result explained by the double legacy of dictatorship and revolution in the Portuguese transition, the credibility dilemmas of the Spanish reformers and the impact of regional devolution.
Keywords
Spain; Portugal; Democratic Transition; Police; Legacies of the Past; Democratization Spain; Democratization Portugal;
Representative government and representation Spain;
Representative government and representation Portugal;
Spain Politics and government 1975- ; Portugal Politics and government 1974-
Journal
South European Society and Politics: Volume 15, Issue 3
Status | Published |
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Publication date | 30/09/2010 |
Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
Publisher URL | |
ISSN | 1360-8746 |
eISSN | 1743-9612 |