Abstract

This article describes the evolution of law making in the Italian parliament over the last two decades, and the consequences it has on the incentives for organised interests to access the legislative arena. The analysis focuses in particular on the length of the legislative process, the degree of transformation and the degree of consensualism for a subset of acts that have been especially relevant in the seven policy areas considered in this special issue. We find consistent evidences of an empowerment of the executive power over the legislative assembly; at the same time this trend appears to be not uniform across areas: in particular legislation on justice seems to be still in line with the law making style of the so called first republic.