Abstract: This article analyzes the practice of formation of the coalition governments in Italy during the First Republic. The dynamics of interparty competition allows determining the key positions in polemics unfolded between the Italian political scientists regarding the emergence of one or another type of party system in Italy. The goal of this research lies in the identification of causes that led to the victory of the Christian Democratic Party of Italy throughout several electoral cycles until the phase transformation in the Italian political party system, followed by the crisis of partocratic regime. The article also analyzes the role of the minor political parties in the political process, which provided support to the Cristian Democrats. The presented data from sociological studies allows detecting the changes in public mood, associated implementation of the political course by the ruling parties of Italy. The author was able to identify the causes of decrease in public confidence in the Italian political parties of the First Republic period. Over time, the political powers become incapable of adequately responding to the political and socioeconomic challenges on the background of dilution of the ideological beliefs of parties caught in corruption, integration of new collective (trade unions, associations and public organizations) into the political process, as well as discussion of the issues of bioethics and proliferation of neo-conservative trends.