Traditionally the creation of a welfare state has tended to centralise the powers and functions of central government in contemporary legal systems, as central government is regarded as offering better guarantees of stability and universal social services than more local bodies. This «centripetal» tendency of the policies connected with the creation of the welfare state has been noticed by constitutionalists since the 1980’s, particularly as regards federal systems, where egalitarian policies aimed at redistributing wealth have often set off processes centralising powers and functions in federal authorities, because of the need to guarantee uniform welfare standards nation-wide, in the interests of substantive equality. only subscribers can see the full article

This essay uses the financial dimension to analyse the present state of social regionalism in Italy following the profound changes that have affected the territorial organisation of responsibilities and functions. The picture that emerges is characterised by the persistence of various historical features of but also by some signs of change indicative of a desire by the regions to play a leading role. The combination of these two elements offers the prospect of opportunities, but also risks that could be related to the present territorial imbalance of social policy on a regional dimension.only subscribers can see the full article