La nueva configuración del sistema de partidos valenciano. Una aproximación institucionalista

The main objective of this article is to explain the evolution of the party system of the Valencian Community (Spain) between 1978 and 2015. We will start from a historical neo-institutionalist approach and a methodology focused on historical analysis (path dependence and critical junctures). It will be centered on the changes produced in political parties, in terms of the Valencian cartelization and identity and its present position. This way, three working sub-hypotheses are to be explained: H1a: parties have had a continuity dynamic that has changed due to abrupt changes in the environment; H1b: political forces have taken advantage of these events to obtain electoral revenue and; H1c: current political parties are the result of changes experienced in the period studied. This complex hypothesis opens new fields of study for future research in terms of strategy, discourse and perceptions about these organizations.