Sources of stability and instability in the Italian party system

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Abstract
In the course of the 1970s the major Italian parties underwent a number of important changes. The DC and the PCI experienced a renewal of their leadership positions and undertook a revision of their strategies. The PCI shifted from the ‘historic compromise’ to the formula of a ‘democratic alternative’, aimed at excluding the Christian Democrats. Furthermore, the Italian electorate is more inclined to reward the performance of the parties rather than support them through traditional identification. Finally, there appears to be a process of depolarisation under way affecting both the behaviour of political leaders and outlook of voters who are now more inclined to transfer their support from one party to another. This depolarisation may create the conditions for a rotation of power which hitherto has been absent from the Italian political system.

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