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It is only possible to talk of actual Italian administrative elites when referring to the period following national unification (1861-1900). Over the course of the 20th century, these elites have come to occupy a somewhat lower social position. In this paper, the fascist era and the first years of the Republic are discussed. The first law on senior civil servants was not adopted until 1972, and even then it had limited scope. Since the 1993-1998 period, when contracts were introduced for civil servants and then senior officials, those in senior management positions continued to be too close to the world of politics, and a system of patronage was introduced. In the absence of any proper training, new public management is only a superficial notion, and the average age of senior officials is still high, despite an intake of young people who have been recruited after doing competitive training courses.