ABSTRACT
The Fascist corporatist regime assumed its distinctive features with the 'syndical and corporatist laws' enacted since 1926. The juridical basis of the corporatist state has been subject to a close scrutiny since the very beginning of historical studies on Italian Fascism. From a broader perspective, the cultural and ideological debate has been linked with the various political tendencies among the leaders of the Fascist Party. The superseding of the 'ideological' approach to the corporatist question is furthered by the view of its continuity before and after Fascism. The European dimension of corporatism demands taking into account the role of Catholic culture and institutions. This chapter examines Italian corporatism from within the overall perspective of Fascist corporatism as a distinctive authoritarian response to the challenges of industrial modernity, mass democracy and state power that faced the countries of Europe during the 1930s. At the turn of the twentieth century Toniolo published a set of essays advocating the promotion of organized labour.
