The 2011 elections were held in an extraordinary context with economic recession, increasing citizenship discontent with the political institutions. The 2011 elections are the critical test of the Spanish democratic health. The specialists gather in this volume, recognized scholars from prestigious Spanish and international centers, detail the most important aspects of the electoral race with sophisticated empirical analysis but presented in laymen terms accessible to the non-specialist public. In 9 chapters, the book deals with the second term of Rodriguez Zapatero and the behavior of the PP in the opposition; describes the deterioration of the public opinion during the term; examines the origins and reasons for the change of vote that gave the absolute majority to the PP and brought to the socialist party to its worst results since 1977; it analyzes the influence of the campaign and the electoral debates, the impact of the economic crisis and the austerity policies, as well as the impact of the 15-M movement. It also evaluates the impact of the electoral system and interprets the results in a comparative perspective. A key reference work for experts, journalists and those interested in understanding the results of an election in a fundamental moment.