ABSTRACT
Theoretically and empirically there are two different aspects of the issue of regime legitimacy in a comparative and dynamic perspective: the level of regime legitimacy at a given time and the degree and direction of change over time. In terms of regime legitimacy Italy is an outlier towards the low-end of the spectrum. Over the whole observation period only around 18–20 percent of the Italian electorate was very or fairly satisfied with the way democracy works in their country. The bureaucratic segmentation of politics caused by the factors outlined has logically paralleled the differentiation of interests in society and generated a substantial degree of inefficiency in the legitimacy and authoritative allocation of values. The political elite and the institutional and organizational bases supporting it become expensive shows while political confrontations are seen as superfluous performance numbers that present ritualistic fights between equally incompetent opponents.
