The politics of depoliticization? A case study analysis of nonpartisan lists in Tuscany (2008-2022)

This study examines local independent civic lists, an alternative form of political participation that has grown amid political disaffection and the decline of traditional parties. Despite their precarious nature, these lists have risen in recent local elections, within both party-affiliated and independent coalitions. The article proposes a taxonomy of six sub- types—pure, personalized, and thematized lists, divided into politicized or independent— and analyzes 162 cases from 54 Tuscan municipalities (2008–2022). The findings clarify the ambiguous nature of civic lists and their links to depoliticization, re-politicization, and populist civic re-engagement.