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GENERATIONAL CHANGE WITHIN THE ITALIAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY ELITE
Author(s) -
DALTON RICHARD
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
european journal of political research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.267
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1475-6765
pISSN - 0304-4130
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-6765.1977.tb01219.x
Subject(s) - left wing politics , elite , democracy , politics , communism , political economy , political science , resistance (ecology) , socialism , sociology , law , ecology , biology
The Italian Christian Democratic Party leadership is presently being challenged by a third generation of members who seek to substantially alter party policy. Because of resistance from the center to this encroachment two important effects can be noted. First, a significant number of the younger generation are deserting the DC and seeking alternate political solutions. This group is largely leftist in sentiment and have sought to create either a “new left” or have actually joined Communist and Socialist electoral lists. With the removal of this first group from party participation a second group, rightist in political orientation, is gaining in strength. Although this is a slow movement, and not necessarily irreversible, it does reflect the increased importance of the laical left on Italian politics and the removal of the DC left from active support of the party.