The Socioeconomic Gap between North and South Italy: A long Story Within an Old Political Framework

Abstract

1 ABSTRACT: In this paper I will make some analysis on socioeconomic differences that have developed in Italy between North and the South Italian regions. From this differences, a peculiar aspects emerges, with the North as one of the most developed region opposed to the South as one of the most backward region within Europe. Government policy has been trying since the unification of Italy, to reduce the gap with the implementation of specific converging program policies. However, the convergence phase has led to a remarkably unfavourable steady state. Two of the possible explanation for the persistent gap between North and South Italy will be focused in this paper: the first one relate with the quality and quantity of social capital presence The second explanation might be beyond the Government institutions performances that so far, with some exception, has registered a continuous failure on policies tending to reduce the socioeconomic gap. Finally I do warn the reader that this paper will be concentrated mainly on southern Italy, as this is the area which is lagging within the Italian development Key Words: Economic Convergence, Southern Issues, Government Institutions Social Capital Theories,