La Banca d'Italia

The Nobel prize in Economics James Tobin claimed: "nothing is more political than money". The political relevance of money is reflected on institutions liable for monetary matters: in Italy, in primis, the Bank of Italy. This volume examines structures and activities of the Italian Central Bank, with particular attention, on one hand, to the role played by this institution within the Italian political system and, on the other, to its relationships with other political and economic institutions. Origin and evolution, organization and functional specialization, hierarchies and elites, cultural identity and esprit de corps; negotiation/conflict with domestic and international partners and, finally, the role of political compensation, which in Italy has been very pronounced, especially during the so called “Second Republic”. This book try to describe the complex framework in which the Bank of Italy has been working since its foundation and to explain the Bank's contribution to economic development, democratic stability, modernization and civil progress of Italy.