Inside Technocracy: Features and Trajectories of Technocratic Ministers in Italy (1948–2021)

5 Agosto 2022

The article was published on Italian Political Science can be accessed here.

Abstract

In recent times, technocratic transformations occurring in the governmental arena of European political systems have prompted growing scholarly interest. This study aims to contribute to this flourishing research agenda by examining the features of Italian technocratic ministers, the underpinnings of their government involvement, and the trajectories they have followed after ruling responsibility from 1948 to 2021. The main findings of the study show that: (a) there is a clear gendered pattern in technocratic appointments; (b) university professors are the most common professional category involved in technocratic appointments; (c) parties are gradually ceding core executive positions to technocratic ministers; (d) technocratic appointments are mainly driven by expertise-related considerations; (e) cases of technocratic ministerial reappointments are negligible; and (f) technocratic ministers take a formal political affiliation, or join top private or public companies after government participation.

Marco Improta

Marco Improta (Napoli, 1995) è dottorando di ricerca in Politics e Teaching Assistant presso la LUISS Guido Carli. È stato Visiting Research Fellow presso il Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche della Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Israele. Attualmente è Visiting Research Student presso il Dipartimento di Politics e International Relations della University of Oxford. Ha ottenuto la Laurea triennale in Scienze Internazionali e Diplomatiche presso l'Università di Bologna - Campus di Forlì e la Laurea magistrale in Governo e Politiche presso la LUISS. I suoi principali interessi di ricerca riguardano i governi, i partiti e la rappresentanza politica in prospettiva comparata. La sua ricerca di dottorato si propone di indagare le determinanti della stabilità dei governi in 21 democrazie dal 1945. Ha pubblicato articoli su riviste scientifiche internazionali e nazionali, tra cui West European Politics, European Politics and Society, Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche, Quaderni di Scienza Politica e Italian Political Science. È inoltre autore di contributi pubblicati in volumi. È membro del CISE e di varie associazioni scientifiche nazionali e internazionali tra cui IPSA, CES, SISP, SISE, ISPSA ed ECPR.

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Inside Technocracy: Features and Trajectories of Technocratic Ministers in Italy (1948–2021)

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