Berlusconi did indeed run Italy the way he runs his companies: like a private fiefdom, promoting cronies, intimidating critics, and paying people vast sums of money in exchange for their slavish devotion. And, two years after the earthquake in L’Aquila in 2009, which killed hundreds of people, nothing much had been done to reconstruct the city, despite an initial flurry of publicity stunts showing Berlusconi, posing in a fireman’s hat, personally taking charge.
但是，在实践中，这类大亨政客有自己的利益和目的需要追求。贝卢斯科尼确实在按照精英公司的方法治国：如同私人采邑一样提拔亲信、威吓批评者，用大把金钱换取人们如奴婢般的忠诚。2009年夺去数百人生命的L’Aquila地震两年后，该市重建工作仍毫无进展，尽管在地震发生后的公共秀当中，贝卢斯科尼戴着一顶消防帽亲自坐镇指挥。