ABSTRACT
Using a secondary analysis of selected national surveys conducted between the mid-1980s and 2020s, the chapter portrays the socio-demographic and political characteristics and values of those Italians harbouring the strongest anti-political feelings. More specifically, the chapter offers two comparisons: the first compares different countries and the second is of a diachronic nature. The country comparison reveals that Italians are in fact more anti-political than the citizens of many other European and non-European democracies. The level of anti-political feeling witnessed in Italy is only equalled by that of countries hard hit by the recent economic crisis (such as Greece) or governed by populist leaders, such as Bolsonaro's Brazil, Orbán's Hungary and Trump's America. The analysis also shows that the socio-demographic and political characteristics of anti-political citizens vary from one place to another. The second analysis compares the characteristics of anti-political Italians in the mid-1980s – prior to the serious political crisis of the early 1990s – with those of the mid-2000s. This analysis reveals an overall increase in anti-politics over the course of this 20-year period and highlights both a certain continuity and also certain significant changes, in the nature of anti-political Italians. The chapter ends with a further secondary analysis conducted of the results of a survey carried out in 2020. This analysis indicates the degree to which the socio-demographic and political characteristics and values of those Italians holding strong anti-political views have changed. The conclusion reached is that anti-political attitudes have not only grown in recent years but they also now pervade all social categories.
