LEADER and partnerships: The case of Italy

This paper focuses on the Local Action Group as a partnership and considers how such entities fit within the Polanyian triadic model of social order. The rhetoric of LEADER and endogenous development would suggest that LAGS a re a manifestation of the principle of reciprocal relationships. Osti concl udes, however, that although there is a shift away from the hierarchical pr inciple, the direction of change is, in fact, towards quasi-markets. In the se markets, territories are provided with an enhanced capacity as strategic agents but are also susceptible to control hy local/regional economic and political interests. His theoretical ideas are grounded in a study of LEADE R in Italy.