▁that ▁in ▁many ▁Western ▁dem oc ra cies . ▁ ▁Early ▁months ▁of ▁the ▁union ▁ ▁Although ▁un ified ▁as ▁a ▁single ▁nation ▁at ▁independence , ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁the ▁north ▁were , ▁from ▁an ▁institution al ▁perspective , ▁two ▁separate ▁countries . ▁Italy ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁had ▁left ▁the ▁two ▁with ▁separate ▁administrative , ▁legal , ▁and ▁education ▁systems ▁in ▁which ▁affairs ▁were ▁conducted ▁according ▁to ▁different ▁procedures ▁and ▁in ▁different ▁languages . ▁Police , ▁tax es , ▁and ▁the ▁exchange ▁rates ▁of ▁their ▁respective ▁curr encies ▁also ▁differ ed . ▁Their ▁educated ▁el ites ▁had ▁diver gent ▁interests , ▁and ▁economic ▁contacts ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁regions ▁were ▁virt ually ▁none x istent . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁created ▁the ▁Cons ult ative ▁Commission ▁for ▁Integr ation , ▁an ▁international ▁board ▁head ed ▁by ▁UN ▁official ▁Paolo ▁Cont ini , ▁to ▁guide ▁the ▁grad ual ▁mer ger ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁country ' s ▁legal ▁systems ▁and ▁institutions ▁and ▁to ▁recon cile ▁the ▁differences ▁between ▁them . ▁( In ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁the ▁Cons ult ative ▁Commission ▁for ▁Legisl ation ▁succeeded ▁this ▁body . ▁Com posed ▁of ▁Som alis , ▁it ▁took ▁up ▁its ▁prede cess or ' s ▁work ▁under ▁the ▁chair mans hip ▁of ▁Mar iano .) ▁But ▁many ▁southern ers ▁believed ▁that , ▁because ▁of ▁experience ▁gained ▁under ▁the ▁Italian ▁trust ees hip , ▁their s ▁was ▁the ▁better ▁prepared ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁regions ▁for ▁self - g overn ment . ▁Northern