Patronage, Power and Poverty in Southern Italy A Tale of Two Cities [Paperback]

This book examines the Italy of the 1980s, which represents an unparalleled example of dualistic development - deeply divided between North and South.Drawing on insights from anthropology, sociology, and political science, this comparative study examines the sources of popular support for clientelism in two resource-scarce Italian towns, Palermo and Naples. It analyzes the relationship between clientelism and economic development, with implications not only for Southern Italy but also for developing nations.Drawing on insights from anthropology, sociology, and political science, this comparative study examines the sources of popular support for clientelism in two resource-scarce Italian towns, Palermo and Naples. It analyzes the relationship between clientelism and economic development, with implications not only for Southern Italy but also for developing nations.Deeply divided between North and South, the Italy of the 1980s represents an unparalleled example of dualistic development, counterposing two profoundly different models of society and politics. In the South, socioeconomic backwardness was matched by the persistence of traditional forms of political behaviour - a politics based primarily on personal ties and patronage rather than on broader bonds of interest or ideology. This study seeks to understand the sources of popular support for clientelism in a resource-scarce society such as southern Italy. It analyses the dynamics of continuity and change in a political system based primarily on clientelism rather than on broader bonds of interest or ideology. The author explores the concrete patronage mechanisms linking the dominant party to each of the major social groups in the city - ranging from the urban poor to the Mafia. By contrast, the sections on Naples address the question of the conditions under which political machines may have lost their mass base of support.List of tables and figures; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction; Part I. TlÂ