Sport and policy: mapping the Italian sport system via the Adovacy Coalition Framework

Regardless the uncommon configuration and the interest that might assume a deep analysis of the Italian sport system, little research has been carried out in this field. Particularly, a strong body of knowledge concerning main factors influencing the implementation of the sport policy is far away to be achieved and little investigation has been carried out by applying paradigms defined by social sciences for this kind of analysis. Thus, this paper seeks to carry out a first investigation of the Italian sport policy area by going into diverse aspects. Stemming for a diachronic reconstruction on a national scale of the main fea- tures of the Italian sport system, a synoptic analysis of the main actors involved in the definition and the implementation of sport policy within the Italian con- text, is defined. In addition, an accurate scrutiny of nexus and dynamics emerg- ing from the interaction of all the actors involved is carried out.