The Mass Clientelism Party
The Christian Democratic Party in Catania and in Southern Italy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5818576 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Frank Belloni (Virginia Commonwealth University), Mario Caciagli (0000-0002-7248-4118, University of Catania), Liborio Mattina (University of Catania) |
| Year | 1979 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 253-275 |
| Publication date | 1979-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Political Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0304-4130 • E-ISSN: 1475-6765 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1475-6765.1979.tb00561.x |
| OpenAlex | W1963710941 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 6 |
The main theoretical question confronted in this article concerns the nature and character of the Christian Democratic party (DC) in Catania and in Southern Italy. The Catania DC was transformed in the early fifties from a party of representation led by "notables" to a modern party under the direction of a new class of party professionals. The DC has become a mass party, containing various characteristics attributed to the mass party model in the literature; but it lacks some mass party features and contains others which are extraneous to it. The particular use of the party's mass membership in the intraparty struggle for position and power and the employment of the instrument of clientelism for achieving its goal, is what distinguishes the Southern Italy party. A mass-based structure, clientelism and the use of public resources for distributing benefits are the main characteristics of the mass clientele party. The article examines the structure and the mode of operation of the mass clientele party; the principal sets of social, economic and political conditions necessary for the emergence of such a party; the functions it performs in the regional and national political systems
Agrarianism · Clientelism · Party platform · Realigning election · Representation · Italian Fascism and Post-war Society · Populism, Right-Wing Movements · Religion and Society Interactions
| Citations per year | 0.05 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1983 - 2015 (33) |
| Highly cited | No |