Le trasformazioni del ceto politico locale in Toscana

The paper deals with the body of local elected councillors in Tuscany from 1990 to 2004 and their turnover. Considering the wide institutional and political transformations deriving from the Bill 1993/81 (introducing the election of mayors), the paper examines its impact on traditional political careers. In particular it describes the dynamic changes the participation of women and young people had on the institutional life of local communities in Italy and in Tuscany.Using data from a database set up by the author, it is possible to investigate the role of unsuccessful candidates as well as the role of elected councillors.Furthermore, the understanding of young people’s share in local government may be enlarged using a specific survey targeted at young councillors of local authorities, members of the executive board (assessori) and mayors in Tuscany.The main results of the survey – presented in the paper – address the following problems: the relationship between young local elected councillors and political parties; the supporting factors of their election or them being appointed (as members of the executive board); the main agencies of political socialization they consider important; the way young politicians succeed in balancing their political and institutional commitments with other kinds of political commitments (being the latter an institutional one or not); the satisfaction they express on their political experience.