A Self-interested Legislator? Party Regulation in Italy

Authors: Daniela R. Piccio | Published in: South European Society and Politics, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 135-152 | Date of publication: 2014

Abstract

What factors drive the evolution of party regulation? And do political and societal changes have an impact on how legislators shape policy reforms? This article answers these questions by observing the evolution of the regulation of political parties in Italy from 1948 to 2012. Through an in-depth analysis of the major sources of party law of the country, the author shows that corruption scandals and societal pressure, alone, may be insufficient to influence the parties' legislative behaviour. Responsive reforms instead appear to take place when a broader number of factors are involved, most importantly the emergence of a new – truly challenging – political competitor.

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