Constitutional Conventions and the Economic Crisis: The Italian Paradigm

This article investigates the relationship between constitutional conventions and economic factors. After an explanation of the main doctrines and theories about conventions and customs, and their different meanings in the comparative arena, the attention is focused on the role that constitutional ‘practices’, ‘conventions’ and ‘customs’ have in shaping the Italian form of government. The central part of the paper focuses on the relationship between constitutional customs and the economic crisis and, particu-larly, on the role that the new great crisis has played in changing customs related to the design of the form of government, with particular reference to the Italian case.