The “Symbolic-identitarian†Policies: The Case of Naples, Italy

Italian political scene and policy-making process, at local government level, have profoundly changed over the past 20 years. In the context of the Italian reforms of the 1990s, the most glary manifestations of the so-called “direttismo†were: the crisis of political parties; the personalization of politics; the fiscal crisis of the state; the need for activation of the processes of accountability. All these factors have been reflected in the role of the mayor, who because of regulatory constraints and policy needs, indulges in the use of symbolic policies. This paper attempts a more systematic definition of symbolic policies. In particular, the hypothesis which has to be developed puts emphasis on the socio-political-professional background of the mayor as a variable that can explain the level of success of symbolic policies. A first test is attempted in relation to the case study of Naples.