Bread or Glory? Fiscal Policy in Italian Nation-Building
摘要
The paper analyzes the spatial impact of the construction of the Italian nation. The policies promised national dignity, completion of the homeland, positioning Italy as a European power, economic development, and the rule of law. We call these outcomes glory. Glory brought material and monetary benefits stemming from infrastructure construction, hiring of personnel, etc. we refer to these benefits. Bread and glory were very expensive. Their unequal distribution among regions became a major source of controversy between the North and the South. To verify these claims, the paper presents the calculation of the regional fiscal residuum for the first four decades of the country.