Book chapters
S. Bolgherini, E. Diodato (2024) La rilevanza della scienza politica e l’accesso alle istituzioni, in Verzichelli L. (ed) La Scienza politica italiana. 50 anni dopo, Bologna, Il Mulino (EN: The relevance of Italian political science and the access to institutions), pp.127-141, ISBN: 978-88-15-39026-4
pp. 269-293 ISBN: 978-88-495-5066-5
(EN: From two-faced Janus to the State barycenter. Intergovernmental relations between State and Regions in Italy in the first two years of the pandemic)
pp. 75-88 ISBN: 978-88-6938-371-7
(EN: Left-wish: the left-right collocation of the electorate at the Italian Democratic Party’s primaries)
S. Bolgherini, A. Grasse (2023), Italien
in Weidenfeld W./ Wessels W. (eds) Jahrbuch der Europäischen Integration 2023, Baden Baden, Nomos, pp. 527-532,
ISBN: 978-3-7560-0446-1
S. Bolgherini, D. Vampa (2021), Populism and representation at the regional and local levels
in Loughlin J./ Callanan M. (eds) A research agenda for sub-national government, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, pp. 149–162
[ISBN 9781839106637, doi: 10.4337/9781839106644.00015]
This chapter provides an overview of recent developments in subnational representative democracy and considers the role played by new political actors. A review of the literature on political cleavages introduces populism and mobilization around ‘new politics’ issues, which have led to a shift in the traditional patterns of political competition. A reflection on the presence of ‘non-partisan’ actors in the local and regional electoral arena also suggests that the rise of ‘civic’ or ‘local’ lists and independent candidates poses new challenges to traditional ‘statewide’ parties. Finally, since the changes in the electoral dimension have affected the composition of local and regional governments, their implications for subnational policy-making processes and the quality of democracy are addressed. The conclusion highlights the importance of exploring in more detail the ‘multi-level’ nature of contemporary populism by considering how it might be linked not only to ‘ethno-regionalism’ but also to ‘state-wide’ nationalism.
S. Bolgherini (2021), Fusioni di comuni e affluenza alle urne: la (contro)tendenza in Italia,
in Degni M. (a cura di), IV Rapporto Cà Foscari sui comuni 2021 - La risposta dei comuni alla crisi pandemica, Castelvecchi, Roma, [ISBN 9788832905991], pp.114-133
(EN: Municipal amalgamations and electoral participation: the Italian (counter)trend)
S. Bolgherini (2019), Germania: l’onda verde,
in M. Valbruzzi (ed), L’Italia sovranista e la sfida all’Europa. Le elezioni europee ed amministrative 2019, pp. 233-241, Bologna, Istituto Cattaneo
[ISBN: 978-88-941126-6-5; ISSN: 2611-5778; DOI: 10.31484/2611-5778_41]
(EN: Germany: the Green Wave at the 2019 EU election)
S. Bolgherini (2019), La Germania tra continuità e nuovi scenari,
in F. Niglia e D. Pasquinucci (a cura di), La Germania nell’Unione Europea. Stereotipi e ruolo storico, pp. 123-142, Istituto Italiano Studi Germanici [ISBN: 9788895868400]
(EN: Germany between Continuity and New Scenarios)
S. Bolgherini (2018), Politische und institutionelle Entwicklungen auf zentralstaatlicher Ebene. Das Gespenst eines neuerlichen Umbruchs,
in A. Grasse, M. Grimm, J. Labitzke (eds.), Italien zwischen Krise und Aufbruch. Reformen und Reformversuche der Regierung Renzi, pp. 31-58, VS, Wiesbaden,
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-16092-0_2
(EN: Political and Institutional Changes at the National Level: the Ghost of a new Transition)
S. Bolgherini, S. Grimaldi (2016), Le elezioni regionali di Maggio. Il consolidamento del tripolarismo,
in Piattoni S., Carbone, M. (a cura di), Politica in Italia, pp. 87-106, Bologna, Il Mulino [ISBN: 9788815266224]
S. Bolgherini, S. Grimaldi (2016), The May Regional Elections. Consolidation of the Tripolar System,
in Piattoni S., Carbone, M. (eds.), Italian Politics. Governing under Constraint, pp. 80-98, Oxford/NY, Berghahn, [doi:10.3167/ip.2016.310106; ISBN: 978-1-78533-568-6]
S. Bolgherini, A. Lippi (2016), Italy. Remapping Local Government From Re-Allocation and Re-Shaping to Re-Scaling,
in Sadioglu U., Dede K. (a cura di), Theoretical Foundations and Discussions on the Reformation Process in Local Governments, pp. 265-287, Hershey, IGI
[ISBN: 9781522503170],
doi: 10.4018/978-1-5225-0317-0.ch011
In the last decades Italy faced a long political transition, which displayed its effects also on the institutional policy of this country. The changes occurred in these years on local and meso-governments will be scrutinized in this chapter looking at the different strategies adopted. Remapping local government in Italy fundamentally meant three different ‘R-approaches': a Re-allocation of legal power (decentralization in the light of NPM) (from 1990 to 2000); a Re-shaping of the institutional setting (devolution) in favour of subsidiarity (from 2001 to 2009); a Re-scaling of functions in terms of recentralization (upscaling) and a search for an optimal territorial scale in times of economic crisis (since 2008).
S. Bolgherini, C. Dallara (2016), La razionalizzazione organizzativa e territoriale tra crisi economica e post-NPM,
in Eid. (a cura di), La retorica della razionalizzazione. Il settore pubblico italiano negli anni dell’austerity, pp. 9-23, Bologna, Istituto Cattaneo
[e-ISBN: 9788894112610; ISBN: 9788894112696]
(EN: Organizational and Territorial Rationalization between the Economic Crisis and the post-NPM Wave)
S. Bolgherini, C. Dallara (2016), La retorica della razionalizzazione,
in Eid. (a cura di), La retorica della razionalizzazione. Il settore pubblico italiano negli anni dell’austerity, pp. 177-198, Bologna, Istituto Cattaneo
[e-ISBN: 9788894112610; ISBN: 9788894112696]
(EN: The Rhetoric of Rationalization)
S. Bolgherini (2016), Partecipazione,
in Calise M., Musella F. (eds), Concetti chiave,
pp. 167-177, Bologna, Il Mulino
[ISBN: 9788815267900]
(EN: Political Participation)
S. Bolgherini, S. Grimaldi (2015), La fine del bipolarismo regionale tra destrutturazione e diversificazione,
in Bolgherini S., Grimaldi S. (a cura di), Tripolarismo e destrutturazione. Le elezioni regionali del 2015, pp. 9-41, Bologna, Istituto Cattaneo [ISBN: 9788894112603]
(EN: The End of Italian Regional Bipolarism)
G. Baldini, S. Bolgherini (2015), So similar, yet so different: Alternative für Deutschland and the Pirate Party,
in D'Ottavio G., Saalfeld T. (eds.), The German Election of 2013: Breaking the Mould of Post-Unification Politics?, pp. 181-202, Farnham, Ashgate ISBN: 978-1472444394
Political parties are facing serious challenges in Europe, as more generally in advanced democracies. Decreasing party identification, increasing anti-party sentiments, fragmentation and personalization, rise of fringe parties: the catalogue is long and well known by now (Webb 2011). Although some recent works point to more mixed evidence on the crucial matter of party decline (Norris 2011; Dalton et al. 2011), parties nonetheless are in trouble. This is particularly evident in countries where the global economic crisis, which started in 2007–8, has hit hard, like in Southern Europe (Verney and Bosco 2013). These challenges include decreasing electoral turnout and high mobilization of social movements – such as the Indignados in Spain 2011 – but also the breakthrough of new political parties – for instance, Golden Dawn in Greece 2012 and the Five Star Movement (M5S) in Italy, which gained 25 per cent in the 2013 polls. Turnout decline is part of a longer trend that involves most European countries (Franklin 2004), including those where parties are still deemed to command a reasonable amount of trust. On this topic, we now have a rich literature. On the other side, new parties have only recently started to attract a great deal of scholarly attention (Lucardie 2000; Deschouwer 2008; Litton 2013). True, the two latest party families that rose to national prominence in many European countries during the 1980s – Green parties and, especially, radical-right populists, henceforth RRP – have been widely researched (Müller-Rommel and Poguntke 2001; Mudde 2013). However, the situation is different for more recently born parties (defined here as parties born in the past decade).
S. Bolgherini, P. Messina (2014) Riordino territoriale e sostenibilità istituzionale: gli enti intermedi in sei regioni d’Europa. Un’introduzione
in S. Bolgherini, P. Messina (a cura di), Oltre le Province. Enti intermedi in Italia e in Europa, Padova University Press [ISBN: 9788897385967]
(EN: Territorial Reform and Institutional Sustainability: A Comparative Introduction)
S. Bolgherini (2014) Governance fra Comuni polvere e zone rurali in Germania: gli Ämter nel Land Brandeburgo
in S. Bolgherini, P. Messina (a cura di), Oltre le Province. Enti intermedi in Italia e in Europa, Padova University Press [ISBN: 9788897385967]
(EN: Governance in small rural areas: the case of Ämter in German Land Brandeburg)
S. Bolgherini (2014) Governance territoriale e istituzionale in Spagna: le Mancomunidades in Andalusia
in S. Bolgherini, P. Messina (a cura di), Oltre le Province. Enti intermedi in Italia e in Europa, Padova University Press [ISBN: 9788897385967]
(EN: Territorial and Institutional Governance in the Andalusian Mancomunidades)
S. Bolgherini (2014), Germania: stabilità europea, sfide domestiche,
in Valbruzzi M., Vignati R. (a cura di), L'Italia e l'Europa al bivio delle riforme, Bologna, Istituto Cattaneo, pp. 243-253
[ISBN: 978-88-904357-9-9]
(EN: Germany: European stability, domestic challenges)
S. Bolgherini, G. Baldini (2014), Così simili, così diversi: Alternative für Deutschland e Piratenpartei a confronto,
in D’Ottavio G., Saalfeld T. (a cura di), La Germania della Cancelliera. Le elezioni del 2013 all’ombra della crisi europea. Bologna, Il Mulino, 2014, pp. 207-232 [ISBN: 9788815254856]
F. Grotz, S. Bolgherini (2011) Im Schatten der Großen Koalition? Bundespolitik und Landtagswahlen unter Merkel I und Merkel II
in O. Niedermayer (ed.), Die Parteien nach der Bundestagswahl 2009, VS Verlag, Wiesbaden, pp. 307-324
[ISBN: 9783531179353]
(EN: In the Shadow of the Grand Coalition? Federal Politics and Regional elections in Germany during the Merkel governments),
doi: 10.1007/978-3-531-93223-1_14
S. Bolgherini (2010), I Comuni nell’Unione Europea. La lunga marcia del quarto livello in Europa
in N. Oddone, M.A. Lopez (compiladores), Ciudades y los Poderes Locales en las Relaciones Internacionales Contemporáneas, Granada, UIM, pp. 301-325
[ISBN: 9788493777715]
(EN: Municipalities in the EU: the long way of the fourth level in Europe)
S. Bolgherini, F. Musella (2010), La partecipazione, in G. Pasquino e F. Venturino (a cura di), Il Partito Democratico di Bersani. Persone, profilo, prospettive,
Bologna, Bononia University Press, pp. 103-120
[ISBN: 9788873955610]
(EN: Participation in the Italian Democratic Party)
C. Baccetti, S. Bolgherini, R. D'Amico, G. Riccamboni (2010), Introduzione. Alle radici della politica,
in Id. (a cura di), La politica e le radici, Novara, Liviana,
pp. XV-XLVIII [ISBN: 9788876756429]
(EN: At the roots of Politics)
S. Bolgherini, F. Grotz (2010), Elezioni regionali e Grande coalizione in Germania negli anni del governo Merkel (2005-2009),
in C. Fusaro (a cura di), Governi locali e regionali in Europa fra sistemi elettorali e scelte di voto, Firenze, SISE,
pp. 257-278 [ISBN: 9788890781803/9788896074237]
(EN: German regional elections and Grand Coalition during the first Merkel government)
S. Bolgherini, F. Grotz (2010), Introduzione. La Grande coalizione 2005-2009: episodio o svolta?
in Id. (a cura di) (2010), La Germania di Angela Merkel, Bologna, Il Mulino, pp. 7-21 [ISBN: 9788815138538]
S. Bolgherini, F. Grotz (2010), Politica multi-livello ed elezioni nei Länder
in Id. (a cura di) (2010), La Germania di Angela Merkel, Bologna, Il Mulino, pp. 67-89 [ISBN: 9788815138538]
F. Grotz, S. Bolgherini (2010), Conclusioni. L’ombra lunga della Grande coalizione
in Id. (a cura di) (2010a), La Germania di Angela Merkel, Bologna, Il Mulino, pp. 251-264 [ISBN: 9788815138538]
S. Bolgherini, F. Grotz (2010) Introduction: The Grand Coalition 2005-2009 – Episode or Turning Point?,
in Id. (eds.), Germany after the Grand Coalition. Governance and Politics in a Turbulent Environment. New York, Palgrave,
pp. 1-11 [ISBN: 9780230622852],
S. Bolgherini, F. Grotz (2010), Multi-level Party Politics during the Grand Coalition: Electoral Outcomes at Länder Level,
in Id. (eds.), Germany after the Grand Coalition. Governance and Politics in a Turbulent Environment. New York, Palgrave,
pp. 49-68 [ISBN: 9780230622852],
F. Grotz, S. Bolgherini (2010), Conclusion: The Long Shadows of the Grand Coalition
in Id. (eds.), Germany after the Grand Coalition. Governance and Politics in a Turbulent Environment. New York, Palgrave,
pp. 195-206 [ISBN: 9780230622852],
S. Bolgherini (2010), Participation,
in T. Lowi, M. Calise, Hyperpolitics. An Interactive Dictionary of Political Science Concepts. Chicago, University of Chicago Press,
p. 169-170 [ISBN: 9780226091013]
S. Bolgherini, F. Musella (2009), Le primarie di Aversa,
in G. Pasquino, F. Venturino (a cura di), Le primarie comunali in Italia, Bologna, Il Mulino, pp. 47-69
[ISBN: 9788815130914]
(EN: Primary elections in the city of Aversa)
S. Bolgherini (2008), Les pouvoirs internationaux des Régions italiennes dans une décennie de réformes (1996-2006),
in F. Massart-Piérard (sous la dir.), L'action extérieure des entités subétatiques: étude comparée, l'Union européenne et l'Amérique du Nord, UCL, Presses Universitaires de Louvain, pp. 105-122
[ISBN: 9782874631283]
(EN: The International Power of Italian Regions along a decade of reforms)
J. Loughlin, S. Bolgherini (2006), Regional elections in Italy: National Tests or Regional Affirmation?
in D. Hough, C. Jeffery (eds.), Devolution and Electoral Politics, Manchester University Press, Manchester, pp. 140-156
[ISBN:978-0-7190-7330-4, ISBN10:0-7190-7330-8]
S. Bolgherini (2003), La participation des régions au Comité des Régions: façade ou substance?
in Reynié, Dominique (sous la direction), Les européens en 2003, Paris, Odile Jacob - Fondation Robert Schuman, pp. 147-195
[ISBN: 273811248X
(EN: The participation of the Regions to the EU Committee of the Regions)
S. Bolgherini, V. Dreier (2001), Lombardei
in T. Fischer, S. Frech (Hrsg.) Baden-Württemberg und seine Partnerregionen, Kohlhammer, Stuttgart, pp. 147-178
(EN: Lombardy Region)
