Introduction

Allum, Felia; Newell, JL

doi:10.1080/1354571032000078275

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

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“…265/1999, the so-called Napolitano-Vigneri, revised the vision about MUs and inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) in general. The political and institutional context within which both these laws were approved was characterised by the uncertain transition to the Second Republic (Allum and Newell 2003; Morlino 2013); the strengthened role of the mayors after the introduction of their direct election in 1993 (Di Virgilio 2005; Fabbrini 2001); and the rise, since the 1980s, of the Lega Nord, a political party with autonomistic ideologies that greatly impacted on Italian territorial policy during the 1990s and later (Diamanti 2003; 2010; Toubeau and Massetti 2013).…”

Section: Pursuing Defragmentation In Three Steps: Norms and Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pursuing defragmentation at the municipal level: signs of a changing pattern?

2017

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Municipal fragmentation is a real historical issue in Italy but its relevance has been differently perceived over time. With a focus on the municipal unions and amalgamations as the main tools for defragmentation, we will present an overview of the last quarter century (1990–2017) of territorial policy at the local level. The reforms introduced since 2010 marked a step change in this area: in fact, empirical evidence shows that the most recent defragmentation attempts have had a certain success. This article, by maintaining a descriptive approach, will try to answer why the most recent defragmentation policy achieved some results, in contrast to those of the past. Some explanatory factors will be presented by reviewing the stances of the main actors in this policy field and their interaction with national policy-maker goals and approaches as well as with normative elements and external conditions

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Section: Pursuing Defragmentation In Three Steps: Norms and Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pursuing defragmentation at the municipal level: signs of a changing pattern?

2017

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The Politics of Italy

Newell

2010

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This innovative text offers a completely fresh approach to Italian politics by placing it in its historical, institutional, social and international contexts. Students will get to grips with the theories and concepts of comparative politics and how they apply specifically to Italy, while gaining real insight into more controversial topics such as the Mafia, corruption and the striking success of Berlusconi. The textbook uses clear and simple language to critically analyze Italy's institutions, its political culture, parties and interest groups, public policy, and its place in the international system. Often regarded as an anomaly, Italy is frequently described in terms of 'crisis', 'instability' and 'alienation'. Sceptical of these conventional accounts, Newell argues that, if understood in its own terms, the Italian political system is just as effective as other established democracies. With features including text boxes and further reading suggestions, this is an unbeatable introduction to the politics of Italy.

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Political system, civil society and institutions in Italy: The quality of democracy

2013

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Italy's economy and polity are considered to be continuously in turmoil.The recent multiplication of corruption affairs, the spreading of clientelistic practices, the internal economic crisis and the decline in the country's role on the European and international stages suggest that Italy is at a political and historical turning point. For the above stated reasons, it appears relevant to re-evaluate the state and quality of Italian democracy. On the basis of a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, this study aims to analyse the recent changes in Italian polity, economy and society in order to assess whether Italy can be considered as a 'deviant case' among European countries. In this article, we present a preliminary reflection on this research question and we outline the topics of concern that will be explored in this special issue. The first part of the article highlights the transformation of Italian democracy over the years with an emphasis on the persisting inconsistency between institutions and civil society. The second part of this article addresses the problem of the current political and economic crisis and the erosion of the democratic quality of Italian political and institutional settings. The third section addresses the question of whether Italy, in a comparative perspective, can be considered alternatively a 'backward' country in terms of democratic development, a political and institutional laboratory of future trends, an anomaly compared to other European democracies or, finally, a specific variation of common trends already characterizing other European democracies.

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Introduction

Cited by 6 publications

References 7 publications

Pursuing defragmentation at the municipal level: signs of a changing pattern?

Pursuing defragmentation at the municipal level: signs of a changing pattern?

The Politics of Italy

Political system, civil society and institutions in Italy: The quality of democracy

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