Abstract
The present thesis aims to research the public opinion's action on the penal policy-making process. In fact, we analyze the effects off several discourses in circulations on some public opinion manifestations - with special interest in the press - on the legislative process, both setting the political agenda as in the acceptance of some policy alternatives as well. For that, it has been analyzed four specific cases of penal reforms passed during the 7th Spanish Legislature, the period with the highest legislative activity concerning penal issues. Appling the agenda-setting theory as well the policy-making research studies, from the analysis of the relationship between the media, the public, and the political agendas and the deconstruction of some discourses presents in each agenda, we had verified the role of public opinion - specific, the role of some social actors that shape it - in the construction of a penal populism process.Keywords
Agenda-setting, public opinion, criminal policy, penal populism.
| Date of Award | 27 May 2010 |
|---|---|
| Original language | Spanish |
| Supervisor | Mercedes Garcia Aran (Director) |