Evaluating the Impact of Long-Term Demographic Changes on Local Participation in Italian Rural Policies (2014–2020): A Spatial Autoregressive Econometric Model
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsIt is not necessary to list the 6 articles separately in Table 2.
The article uses a lot of histograms, it is recommended to convert them into tables to more intuitively describe the characteristics of the data results.
Figures 1-6 should be further optimized to make them more aesthetically pleasing.
Table 9 is mentioned in line 439, but it appears later in the text. It is recommended to move Table 9 earlier to the position mentioned in the text.
Line 286, Table 5. Information on independent variables used in the regression models， descriptive statistics should include maximum, minimum, and variance to facilitate readers' understanding of the distribution of data.
3.3. The result of the econometric model， this manuscript used the OLS method for quantitative analysis, but did not provide specific model formulas, independent and dependent variables in the text.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
Minor editing of English language required.
Author Response
We appreciated your comments and suggestions, they are quite useful to improve the content of the article.
Comment 1: It is not necessary to list the 6 articles separately in Table 2.
Response 1: Table 2 has been conceived to summarized the main characteristics of the models used to estimate impacts on policy uptake (variables used, methods of estimation and territorial level of analysis. This table can be useful for the reader to catch quickly and synthetically main information necessary to understand the nature and the differences of the models used.
Comment 2-3: The article uses a lot of histograms, it is recommended to convert them into tables to more intuitively describe the characteristics of the data results. Figures 1-6 should be further optimized to make them more aesthetically pleasing.
Response 2-3: Thanks for this suggestion, in fact we tried to improve the quality of figures to make them more intuitively clear. Furthermore, we reduced their number by dropping the figure 2 and transforming it into a table (the new table 7).
Comment 4: Table 9 is mentioned in line 439, but it appears later in the text. It is recommended to move Table 9 earlier to the position mentioned in the text.
Response 4: We followed your recommendation by moving table 9 before the comments of the same table.
Comment 5: Line 286, Table 5. Information on independent variables used in the regression models， descriptive statistics should include maximum, minimum, and variance to facilitate readers' understanding of the distribution of data.
Response 5: Table 5 now includes minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation
Comment 6: 3.3. The result of the econometric model， this manuscript used the OLS method for quantitative analysis, but did not provide specific model formulas, independent and dependent variables in the text.
Response 6: The specification of the model is on page 9, where is explained the structure of the model and the dependent variables. The same model is estimated under OLS and SAR, but with two important specification differences: SAR includes the lagged dependent variable and the weighted errors, through the W matrix. Consequently, the model is not only used for OLS but also for SAR. Independent and dependent variables are described in two tables (4 and 5) of the section 2.3.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe study focuses on evaluating the impact of demographic changes on the participation in rural policy in Italy. The study was based on analysis of data at the lowest administrative level in Italy. Two types of municipalities were defined – fragile and resilient ones. Moreover, the authors elaborated a spatial autoregressive econometric model to evaluate to what extent and in which direction the rate of participation of potential beneficiaries of the Rural Development Programmes in the EU financial perspective 2014-2020 is related to demographic change. The authors put the studied issue in the EU context of observed socio-economic processes and policies. The authors identified 7 types of municipalities on the scale of fragile-resilient typology. The authors also identified recent studies related to RDPs’ uptake. A set of measures and sub-measures was covered by the study. They were grouped into four clusters based on their characteristics.
The authors described in detail the changes of rural population in the period 1991-2021 in the defined categories of municipalities. The authors analysed socio-economic indicators characterising these municipalities.
The paper presents a well-planned and conducted study. The results are compelling and clearly presented.
Author Response
Thanks for your comments. We think that the main messages of this article have been fully catched by your synthesis.
We have emphasised some aspects deriving from the analysis in discussion and conclusions.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript presents a comprehensive and well-structured exploration of long-term demographic changes and their implications for rural policies in Italy, with a special focus on the application of spatial autoregressive econometric models. The detailed analysis of demographic typologies and the careful selection of variables add significant value to the understanding of policy uptake in fragile and resilient areas. The regression models, both OLS and SAR, are well-designed and clearly interpreted, providing robust insights into the disparities between Italian regions.
However, there are areas that could be further strengthened to enhance the impact of the study. First, it is recommended to place greater emphasis on the significance of the research. Highlighting how this study contributes to the broader understanding of regional inequalities and policy effectiveness would further underscore its value, particularly in the European context. Additionally, the theoretical implications of the study should be more prominently discussed, linking the findings to existing literature on rural development and demographic changes. This will help position the study within the broader academic discourse.
Practical implications should also be more explicitly stated. It would be beneficial to offer more actionable recommendations for policymakers, particularly on how rural development programs can be tailored to address the specific needs of fragile areas. This would bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring that the findings have a tangible impact on future policy design.
Author Response
Thanks for your valuable comments. We think that the analysis of literature is uneasy since the literature is very broad and a full and comprehensive review would deserve a specific article. However we tried to integrate the text by considering your suggestions through appropriate additional text.
Comment 1: the theoretical implications of the study should be more prominently discussed, linking the findings to existing literature on rural development and demographic changes. This will help position the study within the broader academic discourse.
Response 1: The debate regarding the theoretical implications of demographic changes on rural development has been treated in section 1 of the article (introduction) to frame the study within a broad literature. In section 4 (Discussion) we tried to focus the main implication regarding the current debate on the dichotomy place-based/blind approaches to policy design and implementation. To do so, we better introduced the topic in the first part of the discussion. See additional text in section 4.
Comment 2: Practical implications should also be more explicitly stated. It would be beneficial to offer more actionable recommendations for policymakers, particularly on how rural development programs can be tailored to address the specific needs of fragile areas
Response 2: Section 5 includes in the first version of the article some practical suggestions on how to address RDP measures to demographically fragile areas. However, we have considered the need to make some additional considerations to better express our understanding about policy options for Managing Authorities of rural development programmes. See additional text in section 5.
