Voices heard and unheard: Analizing legislative amendment proposals on underprivileged groups in Spain

This paper explores the circumstances under which parliamentary groups reference underprivileged groups—specifically, women, immigrants and people with disabilities –in their legislative amendment proposals. Drawing on a comprehensive dataset covering all executive bills passed in Spain between 1996...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Muñoz Márquez, Luz Ma. (Luz María), Palau Roqué, Anna M., Rodilla, Andreu
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Oviedo (UNIOVI)
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/227344
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227344
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Persones desfavorides
Ciències polítiques
Grups parlamentaris
Procediment parlamentari
People with social disabilities
Political science
Parliamentary groups
Parliamentary practice
Descripción
Sumario:This paper explores the circumstances under which parliamentary groups reference underprivileged groups—specifically, women, immigrants and people with disabilities –in their legislative amendment proposals. Drawing on a comprehensive dataset covering all executive bills passed in Spain between 1996 and 2023, we find that the presence of interest groups in parliamentary hearings significantly increases the visibility of the underprivileged in the amending activity of political parties, thereby enhancing their representation. Similarly, a higher proportion of women Members of Parliament (MPs) in a parliamentary group is associated with more frequent amendments referencing women and people with disabilities, while there is some evidence, albeit less conclusive, of a similar effect for immigrants. Media coverage boosts attention to women and people with disabilities, but has no significant impact on references to immigrants. Surprisingly, partisan preferences have no influence on references to women and immigrants in amendment proposals; however, right-wing parties are more likely to reference people with disabilities. These findings contribute fresh insights into the dynamics of legislative behavior, representation, and the presence of interest groups in parliamentary processes.