Data and Methods

Abstract

Having laid out our theoretical approach in the previous chapter, we turn now to the description of the databases used to elaborate our arguments and test our hypotheses. First, we explain how the data was collected and coded to generate the longest known data series developed in Spain for the analysis of agenda dynamics. Second, we give a general overview of these databases using three commonly used indicators in agenda-setting literature — the capacity, diversity, and volatility of the agenda — as a starting point for the discussion in the following chapters. The goal is to assess the level of institutional friction associated with the different parts of the policy process and explain how institutionally imposed costs affect various institutional agendas in Spain.