A comparison of this edition with that published in 1987 will show that the basic institutional structures established during the period 1978–83 are still in place and have remained largely unchanged. This is particularly the case in respect of what might be termed the ‘bedrock’ institutions, such as the monarchy, Parliament and central government and administration which, as well as the Constitution itself, have undergone the minimum of structural change. Where most updating has had to be carried out, as far as the public sector is concerned, is in relation to those two major developments which, over the last decade, have impinged most forcefully upon the country – the decentralisation of power to the regions and the accelerating process of European integration. With regard to the latter, chapter 15 has shown how this process has been reflected in a myriad new institutions created at all levels of national life, as well as in Spain's membership of the many already existing structures of the European Union. Chapters 12 and which basically examine the private sector, reflect the considerable degree to which many of the institutions here have had to adapt to these two major transformations.

In general, it can be safely stated that those structures that have stood the test of time, while occasionally subjected to severe pressures, have been developed and consolidated.