Inventing a republican police

political discourses on public order in the Spanish Second Republic, 1931-1933

Abstract

This article analyzes the discourses on public order pronounced by the political class of the Spanish Second Republic at the Parliament and police journals during the first biennium, from 14 April 1931 to 12 September 1933. These discourses are classified into two major narratives: one governmental that prioritized the defense of the Republic and other that claimed for respect for constitutional rights from the opposition. Special attention is devoted to the invention of a republican police, emphasizing the plural, contingent and contested character of its meanings and shapes. The power balance between the main parties as well as the public policies and police reforms are also taken into consideration.