Trasformismo
Encyclopedia
Trasformismo was the method of making a flexible, centrist coalition of government
which isolated the extremes of the left
and the right
in Italian politics after the unification but before the rise of Benito Mussolini
and Fascism
. One of the more successful politicians was Giovanni Giolitti
who succeeded in becoming Prime Minister on five occasions over 20 years. Under his influence, the Liberals did not develop as a structured party. They were, instead, a series of informal personal groupings with no formal links to political constituencies.
At this time middle class politicians more concerned with achieving deals with each other and less about political philosophies and principles moved in and out of office. Large coalitions were formed, with members being bribed to join them. The liberals, the main political group, were tied together by informal "gentleman's agreements", but these were always in matters of enriching themselves. Indeed the actual governing did not seem to happen all that much, but since only 2 million men had franchise, most of these wealthy landowners they did not have to concern themselves with such things as improving the lives of the people they were supposedly serving through democracy.
The process was initiated by Agostino Depretis
, the Italian
Prime Minister
in 1883, who was a member of the Constitutional Left party. He moved to the right and reshuffled his government to include Marco Minghetti
's Conservatives. This was a move Depretis had been considering for a while before 1883. The aim was to ensure a stable government that would avoid weakening the institutions by extreme shifts to the left or right. Depretis felt that a secure government could ensure calm in Italy.
However trasformismo fed into the debates that the Italian parliamentary system was failing and weak, it ultimately became associated with corruption
. It was seen as the sacrifice of principles and policies for short term gain.
The system of trasformismo was a little loved one and seemed to be creating a gulf between 'Legal' (parliamentry and political) Italy, and 'Real' Italy. The politicians became increasingly isolated. This system brought almost no advantages, illiteracy remained the same in 1912 as before the unification era, and sanitary squalor with economic backwardness continued to prevent the rural areas from becoming any better.
's observations of Italian politics and history, Canadian historian Ian McKay has suggested that trasformismo has also played an important role in Canadian politics. The Macdonald-Cartier coalition, the basis of the Conservative Party which dominated Canadian federal politics for most of the latter half of the nineteenth century, and the Liberal Party which had dominated Canadian politics for the twentieth century, are portrayed as examples of a Canadian variant of trasformismo.
In the 1930s, Professor Frank H. Underhill of the University of Toronto
also argued that Canada's two major political parties, the Liberals and Conservatives, had operated in similar ways, advancing the same policies appealing to the same variety of sectional/regional and class interests. In doing so, Canada had perfected the two-party system and in doing so had marginalized liberalism and radicalism. The result, argued Underhill, was a pervasive poverty in Canadian political culture. Not coincidentally, Underhill was centrally involved in the formation of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
, a farmer-labour coalition born during the Great Depression
which became Canada's first successful federal third party, the labour-based New Democratic Party
.
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
which isolated the extremes of the left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
and the right
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
in Italian politics after the unification but before the rise of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
and Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
. One of the more successful politicians was Giovanni Giolitti
Giovanni Giolitti
Giovanni Giolitti was an Italian statesman. He was the 19th, 25th, 29th, 32nd and 37th Prime Minister of Italy between 1892 and 1921. A left-wing liberal, Giolitti's periods in office were notable for the passage of a wide range of progressive social reforms which improved the living standards of...
who succeeded in becoming Prime Minister on five occasions over 20 years. Under his influence, the Liberals did not develop as a structured party. They were, instead, a series of informal personal groupings with no formal links to political constituencies.
At this time middle class politicians more concerned with achieving deals with each other and less about political philosophies and principles moved in and out of office. Large coalitions were formed, with members being bribed to join them. The liberals, the main political group, were tied together by informal "gentleman's agreements", but these were always in matters of enriching themselves. Indeed the actual governing did not seem to happen all that much, but since only 2 million men had franchise, most of these wealthy landowners they did not have to concern themselves with such things as improving the lives of the people they were supposedly serving through democracy.
The process was initiated by Agostino Depretis
Agostino Depretis
Agostino Depretis was an Italian statesman.-Biography:Depretis was born at Mezzana Corte, near Stradella, in the province of Pavia ....
, the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
in 1883, who was a member of the Constitutional Left party. He moved to the right and reshuffled his government to include Marco Minghetti
Marco Minghetti
Marco Minghetti was an Italian economist and statesman.-Biography:Minghetti was born at Bologna, then part of the Papal States....
's Conservatives. This was a move Depretis had been considering for a while before 1883. The aim was to ensure a stable government that would avoid weakening the institutions by extreme shifts to the left or right. Depretis felt that a secure government could ensure calm in Italy.
However trasformismo fed into the debates that the Italian parliamentary system was failing and weak, it ultimately became associated with corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
. It was seen as the sacrifice of principles and policies for short term gain.
The system of trasformismo was a little loved one and seemed to be creating a gulf between 'Legal' (parliamentry and political) Italy, and 'Real' Italy. The politicians became increasingly isolated. This system brought almost no advantages, illiteracy remained the same in 1912 as before the unification era, and sanitary squalor with economic backwardness continued to prevent the rural areas from becoming any better.
Trasformismo in Canada
Drawing upon Antonio GramsciAntonio Gramsci
Antonio Gramsci was an Italian writer, politician, political philosopher, and linguist. He was a founding member and onetime leader of the Communist Party of Italy and was imprisoned by Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime...
's observations of Italian politics and history, Canadian historian Ian McKay has suggested that trasformismo has also played an important role in Canadian politics. The Macdonald-Cartier coalition, the basis of the Conservative Party which dominated Canadian federal politics for most of the latter half of the nineteenth century, and the Liberal Party which had dominated Canadian politics for the twentieth century, are portrayed as examples of a Canadian variant of trasformismo.
In the 1930s, Professor Frank H. Underhill of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
also argued that Canada's two major political parties, the Liberals and Conservatives, had operated in similar ways, advancing the same policies appealing to the same variety of sectional/regional and class interests. In doing so, Canada had perfected the two-party system and in doing so had marginalized liberalism and radicalism. The result, argued Underhill, was a pervasive poverty in Canadian political culture. Not coincidentally, Underhill was centrally involved in the formation of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
, a farmer-labour coalition born during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
which became Canada's first successful federal third party, the labour-based New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.