The private funding of political competition in Italy. Challenges and relationships in the age of the Cartel party

Despite substantial signs of decline, political parties continue to be the most important collective actor in a democratic political system. Their role in reflecting pluralism and electoral importance is not in doubt, even if it is vehemently questioned. As organisations, parties must deal with areas of uncertainty that demand appropriate responses and efficient organisational decisions. This article concentrates on the capacity of parties to mobilise resources, particularly financial resources. I examine the ability of political parties in Italy to connect with the representatives of particular interests by analysing private financial donations made in crucial election years, namely 1987, 1994, and 2013, in order to give evidence of parties’ shifting representational function. According to the literature on the cartel party model, I should be able to find quite distant relationships between specific interests and political parties, with cross-party donations, more and more evident in recent years. The emphasis on private political money allows us to analyse the underappreciated significance of external contributors in a society characterised by substantial state support for political parties. The research implies that changes in the representational dynamics of parties should be understood in conjunction with changes in their financial support.