Between commodification and lifestyle politics: does Silvio Berlusconi provide a new model of politics for the twenty-first century?

Working paper

Is Silvio Berlusconi an Italian anomaly? That’s what conventional wisdom suggests. This book argues that while there are aspects of the political adventure of “Il cavaliere” that are linked to well-rooted aspects of Italian culture and history, at the same time Berlusconi represents the prototype of a new model of politics that can be identified in some other democracies - mostly in countries with similar features to Italy. Commodification of politics (the overlapping between politics and consumption) and lifestyle politics are the major changes that the Berlusconi experience points to, not just at the symbolic level but also in terms of new forms of political participation. These changes are linked to the role that television plays as the primary agent of political socialisation. The book provides detailed analysis and case studies to suggest why Silvio Berlusconi may represent a new model of politics for the 21st century.

Authors: Mancini, P

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Reviewed (other)
• Publisher: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford
• Series: RISJ Challenges
• Place of publication: http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/publications/risj-challenges
• Publication date: 2011-01-01
• Edition: Publisher's version
• ISBN: 9781907384059
• Language: English
• Keywords: political campaigning; Silvio Berlusconi; lifestyle politics; television and politics; media and politics; personalisation of politics
• Subjects: Journalism (political science); Democratic government; News media,journalism,publishing; European democracies