Do TJ policies cause backlash? Evidence from street name changes in Spain Articles uri icon

publication date

  • December 2021

start page

  • 1

end page

  • 7

issue

  • 4

volume

  • 8

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 2053-1680

abstract

  • Memories of old conflicts often shape domestic politics long after these conflicts end. Contemporary debates about past civil
    wars and/or repressive regimes in different parts of the world suggest that these are sensitive topics thatmight increase political
    polarization, particularly when transitional justice policies are implemented and political parties mobilize discontentment with
    such policies. One such policy recently debated in Spain is removing public symbols linked to a past civil war and subsequent
    authoritarian regime (i.e., Francoism). However, the empirical evidence on its impact is still limited. This article attempts to fill
    this gap by examining the political consequences of street renaming. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we show that
    the removal of Francoist street names has contributed to an increase of electoral support for a new far-right party, Vox,mainly
    at the expense of a traditional right-wing conservative party, PP.Our results suggest that revisiting the past can cause a backlash
    among those ideologically aligned with the perpetrator, and that some political parties can capitalize on this.

subjects

  • Sociology

keywords

  • transitional justice; voting, conflict memories, spain