Summary — This work present an analysis on the performance of the neighbourood councils ("Consigli di quartiere") in Catania.

Borned voluntarly in Italy at the end of ‘60, these political institutions developed, just ‘80, an important function both in the political instance canalization and in the municipal decentralization.

The author carried out his research in a social and political context — Catania — characterized by a very low collective mobilization attitude, and by a strong political clientelism. The attitude of this local political system is ratified by the results of this work, based on the examination of administrative deliberation. First of all, the institution of seventeen neighbourood council of Catania, haven’t happened voluntarly, but with a public regional law. This fact have caused a substantial indifference of citizen towards these institutions. On the contrary, the indifference even established in the representatives sitting in the seventeen councils, who has revealed a large rate of absenteeism.

Moreover, they applied a very limited number of their competences. The only function completely played has been the distribution of social grant and sickness-benefit.

Therefore, the local political systems have employed the neighbourood councils like implements of the electoral mobilization, political exchange and "parking area" for local politicians.