A political culture unaccustomed to dialogue : the political constraints of the social contract

Abstract

Reaching lasting political agreements is vital for solving structural problems such as social inequality in Spain. There are several factors that can make it easier or more difficult for political parties, usually at odds with each other, to reach this type of consensus. On the one hand, the lines of political division are many and range from, among others, the economic sphere to the moral or territorial sphere. Their content, importance and way in which they are translated into political competition vary among societies over time. In Spain, as in other southern European countries and in contrast to the north, there is greater polarisation on cultural or moral issues than on economic issues. Left-wing and right-wing parties have consequently reached agreements in areas such as taxation, unemployment, pensions or minimum incomes, which is something that could be repeated in the area of reducing inequality. On the other hand, polarisation on moral issues pushes in the opposite direction and makes it difficult to reach consensus on equality. Furthermore, divided public opinion and an institutional design that makes it easier to govern alone without any agreements also discourage pacts. Changing specific characteristics of parliamentary committees could in turn convert them into a space for negotiation in order to overcome these difficulties and reach positive social impact agreements.