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Electoral dynamics and public primary education spending in a semi-democratic regime: Spain 1902–1922
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 August 2025
Abstract
This paper examines whether the democratic shortcomings of Restoration Spain influenced the expansion of education spending. Specifically, we discuss how electoral outcomes conditioned the allocation of primary education investment across provinces from 1902 to 1922. Our results show that voting for minority parties and the extensive political patronage at the provincial level hindered public primary schooling outlays. We argue that the government punished “rebellious” provinces to preserve the regime, and that education was not well suited to support patron–client relationships. We also show that these effects diminished after World War I, as government control over electoral outcomes declined. Accordingly, by the end of the period, political voice gained a more salient role.
Resumen
Este trabajo estudia si las restricciones democráticas del período de la Restauración en España fueron un obstáculo a la expansión del gasto en educación primaria. Con este objetivo, discute en qué medida los resultados electorales condicionaron la asignación de recursos entre provincias en el período 1902-1922. Los resultados muestran que el gasto público en escuelas fue relativamente más reducido tanto en distritos que votaron por partidos minoritarios como en aquellos caracterizados por mayor clientelismo político. Esto refleja, por un lado, un castigo a las provincias “rebeldes” para preservar el funcionamiento del régimen, y por otro, que la educación primaria no abonaba la consolidación de las redes clientelares. Estos efectos se debilitaron tras la Primera Guerra Mundial, a medida que el gobierno fue perdiendo control sobre los resultados electorales. En consecuencia, los efectos positivos de la participación electoral en el gasto recién se observan hacia el final del período.
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- © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Instituto Figuerola de Historia y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
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