Governance and Participation: a Regional Insight on the Political Culture of Italian Younger Generations of Public Administrators

In the last few decades the political situation in Italy has gone through deep changes. As far as younger generations are concerned, if during the 80’s Italian studies (Cavalli et al.) registered a drop in youth attention towards politics and a renewed evaluation of the private sphere, in the 90’s and the first years of the new Millennium what seems to be a deep process of changes has started to take place. Sociologists have started to wonder whether young people are retreating from politics or if they are simply activating new forms of participation. The paper will analyze political attitudes and values both of young politicians and of young people who have not chosen politics as an important part of their lives. The first results show us that the national political bribe scandal (Tangentopoli) in the early ‘90’s, the Berlin wall crack, and the new International and Italian political asset has had a deep impact on both groups and on both political sides, making us speak of a generational bond (Mannheim). The way both groups look at the political sphere, the way they think politicians should work, show a common will for a change. Institutional politics and parties seem distant and little trustworthy, attention shifts from political content to political style. Ideology, political theories and values seem unclear. Politics’ capacity to give society a broader horizon and project seem to be replaced by expectations on it’s management efficiency and transparency, while in general, traditional politics doesn’t seem appealing and accessible enough for the younger generations. Traditional parties feel the need for a change too. Therefore call their supporters to (at least occasional) forms of renewed participation and concentrate more and more their style of govern towards more participatory forms, in other words, towards a broader governance.