Quantitative analysis of the use of the royal decree law in Spain (1978-‍2018)

Authors

  • Rafael Sanz Gómez Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia‍‍
  • Sergio Sanz Gómez Universidad de Sevilla

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18042/cepc/rep.188.05

Keywords:

Royal decree-law, sources of law, separation of powers, parliamentary control, statistical analysis, leximetrics.

Abstract

This paper applies statistical analysis techniques on the 574 royal decree laws approved in Spain between 1979 and 2018. It studies the frequency of their use, their extension, complexity and impact on the legal system, as well as the subsequent parliamentary procedure and the level of litigiousness before the Constitutional Court. Correlations are sought between these elements and the economic and political-institutional context in which decree laws are issued. The results clearly show an impact of the financial crisis in the approval of decree-laws in given matters, in their length and in their impact on the legal system. It is also observed that a greater parliamentary fragmentation moderately favours decrees law to be introduced as bills and, on the contrary, decree laws approved by governments with absolute majority are more frequently challenged in court. The results of the analysis are the basis for raising critical concerns and proposals for improvement. 

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Published

2020-06-05

How to Cite

Sanz Gómez, R., & Sanz Gómez, S. (2020). Quantitative analysis of the use of the royal decree law in Spain (1978-‍2018). Revista De Estudios Políticos, (188), 127–158. https://doi.org/10.18042/cepc/rep.188.05

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