Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T22:20:57.450Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Italian parties and their programmatic platforms: How alternative?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2016

Nicolò Conti*
Affiliation:
University of Siena, Italy
*

Abstract

In the last decade, in spite of a large number of parties taking part in elections, the Italian party system has shown an increasing simplification in the programmatic supply, with two large coalitions showing a process of convergence of their policy platforms. This article shows that on the crucial themes characterising the confrontation between neo-liberalism versus regulated capitalism, the distance between the two coalitions has progressively reduced. The theory of the cartel party has predicted convergence in the policy positions of parties. Thus, the article will attempt to test the validity of this theory and of the predicted consequences on the Italian case. For this purpose, a longitudinal analysis will be presented grounded on party manifestos for the Italian general elections.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Association for the study of Modern Italy 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Conti, Nicolò. 2005. Party conflict over European integration in Italy: A new dimension of party competition? Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans 8, no. 2: 217–34.Google Scholar
Conti, Nicolò. Forthcoming. On political ‘fragmentation’: Stay in or stay out? The role of small parties in the Italian centre-left. Journal of Modern Italian Studies , 13, no. 3: 388404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conti, Nicolò, and Verzichelli, Luca. 2005. La dimensione europea del discorso politico: Un'analisi diacronica del caso italiano (1950–2001). In L'Europa in Italia , ed. Cotta, Maurizio, Isernia, Pierangelo and Verzichelli, Luca. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Conti, Nicolò, and Verzichelli, Luca, Cotta, Maurizio, and Tronconi, Filippo. 2007. La fin de la ‘partitocratie’ italienne: Une ouverture de l'espace de la compétition politique? In Les transformations des systèmes de partis dans les démocratie occidentales. La théorie du parti-cartel en question , ed. Aucante, Yohann, Sauger, Nicolas and Dézé, Alexandre. Paris: Presses de Sciences Po.Google Scholar
Downs, Anthony. 1957. An economic theory of democracy . New York: Harper.Google Scholar
Gabel, Matthew J., and Hix, Simon. 2004. Defining the EU political space: An empirical study of the European election manifestos, 1979–1999. In European integration and political conflict , ed. Marks, Gary and Steenbergen, Marco. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Hooghe, Liesbet, Marks, Gary, and Wilson, Carole J.. 2004. Does left/right structure party positions on European integration? In European integration and political conflict , ed. Marks, Gary and Steenbergen, Marco. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Itanes, . 2006. Dov'è la Vittoria? Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Katz, Richard S., and Mair, Peter. 1995. Changing models of party organization and party democracy: The emergence of the cartel party. Party Politics 1, no. 1: 528.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pacini, Maria C. 2002. Finanziamento ai partiti: Chi ottiene quanto, come e perché. Il Mulino 6: 1112–21.Google Scholar
Pappalardo, Adriano. 2002. Il sistema partitico italiano fra bipolarismo e destrutturazione. In Dall'Ulivo al governo Belusconi , ed. Pasquino, Gianfranco. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar