Partisanship and the Swing-Vote: The Italian Case

The recent 2013 legislative elections in Italy show the largest volatility in the history of the Italian Republic: 39% of voters changed their previous vote. Although many reasons can explain such result (as a consequence of a severe economic crisis and of distrust in established parties) this calls into question the extent and nature of partisanship among Italians. Relying on a Itanes 5 wave panel between 2011 and 2013, and employing a battery of indicators of partisanship based on the Index of Identification with a Psychological Group, the paper assesses whether partisanship in Italy is best seen as an attitude or a form of social identity.