The long lasting political legacy of the Nazi occupation of Italy

What determines political attitudes of citizens? Material interests, is the standard answer given by economists. Of course, the real world is more complex than that, and political attitudes also reflect ideology and culture. A large literature, including many contributions to this eBook series, presents convincing evidence that history leaves a lasting imprint on cultural traits, in many domains. It would not be surprising, therefore, if political attitudes were also shaped by specific past events in national histories. The legacy of history on political attitudes is bound to be particularly important with regard to specific historical junctures, which happen when new parties are born and young generations form new political identities, breaking with the past. Wars, and in particular civil wars, are examples of such critical junctures (see Mayhew 2004 and Sundquist 2011). A democracy born out of a civil war inherits a legacy of polarisation and conflict that puts it in a very different starting position, when compared to one where political institutions evolved more gradually and peacefully.