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Law enforcement and political participation: Italy, 1861-65

Author

Listed:
  • Antonio Accetturo

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Matteo Bugamelli

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Andrea Lamorgese

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract

Does tougher law enforcement positively affect political participation? This paper addresses this question, which hinges upon the causal impact of formal institutions on informal ones, by using a historical event from 19th century Italy. This event was the Pica Law, which was introduced in 1863 to fight a surge of criminal violence in Southern Italy and to ensure a safer environment for wealthy people, the only ones allowed to vote at that time. Our main finding, obtained using a spatial regression discontinuity technique in a diff-in-diffs framework, is that voter turnout greatly increased in those areas where the Pica Law was applied, compared with bordering and otherwise similar areas. This result is confirmed by a number of robustness checks and placebo exercises and turns out to be persistent over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Antonio Accetturo & Matteo Bugamelli & Andrea Lamorgese, 2017. "Law enforcement and political participation: Italy, 1861-65," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1124, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:wptemi:td_1124_17
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    File URL: http://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/temi-discussione/2017/2017-1124/en_tema_1124.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Giampaolo Lecce & Laura Ogliari & Tommaso Orlando, 2022. "State formation, social unrest and cultural distance," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 453-483, September.
    2. Giampaolo Lecce & Laura Ogliari & Tommaso Orlando, 2017. "Resistance to Institutions and Cultural Distance: Brigandage in Post-Unification Italy," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2097, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    3. Ruzzante, Matteo & Pizzimenti, Cristoforo, 2025. "Brigandage and the political legacy of monarchical legitimacy in Southern Italy," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    4. Antonio Accetturo & Guido de Blasio, 2022. "History and regional policy: some reflections on Italy’s Cassa per il Mezzogiorno," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 42(3), pages 269-277, December.
    5. Gambacorta, Leonardo & Sette, Enrico & Banerjee, Ryan, 2017. "The real effects of relationship lending," CEPR Discussion Papers 12340, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • R5 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis

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