Parliament and Citizenship in Spain: Twenty-Five Years of a Mismatch?

Twenty-five years have now elapsed since the first elections that marked the beginning of democracy in Spain, the longest period ever enjoyed by Spanish citizens which provides a sufficient time-frame to take stock of the feelings brought about by its implementation, operation and agents involved. This paper analyses the institution from three different points of view: the profile of MPs; their feelings and attitudes regarding the parliament and their work; the opinions and attitudes of citizenship towards that institution, its MPs and the activities and functions performed by them. The last section provides a hasty outline of the current status of parliament assessed from the point of view of the support it receives from its citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]