KPDS 2002-1 Soru=87

The passage puts considerable emphasis on the fact that -----.

Though Italy's national boundaries have altered
relatively little since unification in the 1860s,
national identity is qualified by sharp internal
differentiation. Economic and occupational
structures, standards of living, political loyalties,
cultural traditions and even language vary
substantially between parts of the country. Only
since the 1970s has there existed a
comprehensive system of regional government
with financial and legislative authority. However,
the division of powers between central and
regional governments is imprecise, and in practice
the latter depend on substantial resources from the
former. In the absence of clear and effective rules,
relations between the regions and the central
government are determined by a process of
political bargaining. In this process, political
alliances and personal linkages play a vital role. In
this respect, the Italian system may be defined as
a kind of federalism.