As pointed out by the editors of this unusual volume, studying the development of contemporary Spain is important to understand the challenges, dynamics and limits of political and economic modernization. The contributors of Twisted Modernization bring the theoretical and methodological toolkit of modern political economy to study Spain's long run economic (industrialization) and institutional (capacity, constitutions) processes, the evolution of its economic, political and judicial elites, and how the country's institutional legacies condition its democracy and economic outcomes to this day. Including work from over a dozen of well-known specialists and grounded in novel and systematic data, this volume provides a sober assessment of both the country's achievements and worrying future challenges. It offers key insights on the causes of democratization and growth in general and provides a model for further research on the trajectories of other countries. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

‘Twisted Modernization offers a timely and clear-eyed account of Spain's uneven path to modernity. It unpacks how deep institutional legacies, political fragmentation and regional tensions have shaped and constrained the country's development. But its insights extend well beyond Spain. This volume is a sharp, comparative reflection on why some democracies struggle to translate modernization into inclusive and sustained progress. It's essential reading for scholars of political economy, European politics and institutional reform in advanced democracies.'

Catherine E. De Vries - Generali Chair in European Policies at Bocconi University

‘Beramendi and Boix's fascinating new volume offers an analytically sharp perspective on Spain's uneven experience of political and economic modernization. Their fresh theoretical framing and the original studies of the first-rate set of contributors place Spain's successes and disappointments in new light, providing stimulating theoretical insights for students of comparative development. In the best tradition of cutting-edge political economy, the volume's analysis deftly weaves together economic and political history.'

Robert M. Fishman - Carlos III University, Madrid