The Spanish Restoration: Cánovas, Sagasta, and Dynastic Power

The Political System of the Spanish Restoration

Cánovas del Castillo was the main leader of the party during the Sexenio Democrático (Six Democratic Years) who had defended the monarchical restoration. After the return of Alfonso XII, the Conservative Party became the primary political force, with the exception of the Carlists and Integrists. Cánovas's bipartisan draft required another party of a more progressive, left-leaning dynastic nature, which was proposed under Sagasta.

The Formation of the Dynastic Parties

From an agreement between progressives, unionists, and some moderate Republicans, the Liberal Party was born. Both parties performed the corresponding task of uniting various groups and factions, with the unique requirement of accepting the Alfonsine monarchy and the alternation of power. These were known as the dynastic parties.

Shared Ideologies and Social Foundations

Both parties defended the monarchy, the Constitution, private property, and the consolidation of a unitary and centralized Liberal State. Their social origins were very consistent, sustained primarily by economic elites and the affluent middle class. They were minority parties of notables who controlled newspapers, committees, and centers distributed throughout the Spanish territory.

Conservatives vs. Liberals: Policy and Practice

The Conservatives were more inclined toward political immobilism; they proposed censitary suffrage and defended the Church and social order. The Liberals defended universal male suffrage and were more inclined toward progressive social reform and secularism. However, in practice, the actions of the two parties in power were not essentially different. There was a tacit agreement not to enact any law that would force the other party to repeal it when they returned to power.

The Turno Pacífico and Electoral Control

The alternation of power between the two major options, known as the Turno Pacífico (peaceful turn), aimed to ensure institutional stability. The shift in power was ensured by the electoral system; when the ruling party suffered a process of political deterioration and lost the confidence of the Cortes, the monarch called upon the opposition to form a government.

The new head of government would then hold elections in order to achieve the number of members necessary to form a majority that would allow them to govern. This process served to dilute the vote in elections and distort the results to maintain the established system.