Rome, Italy - Course Descriptions - Government & Politics of Italy

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Summary

After an initial analysis of the historical origins of the Republic of Italy, we will look at the structure and functions of its governmental institutions, how they have come to change and what future developments are to be expected.

Full Description

Objectives

Recent events and current affairs testify to the fact that Italy represents a socio-political case study truly unique for its composite and ebullient nature. The transition from the first to the so-called second republic is indeed turning out to be a highly controversial process whose likely outcome is still hard to predict. After an initial analysis of the historical origins of the Republic of Italy, we will look at the structure and functions of its governmental institutions, how they have come to change and what future developments are to be expected. Due consideration will be given to the division of competence between state authorities and local administrations, as well as to the role played by non-governmental institutions such as the trade unions, the Church, business associations, etc. Special attention will also be devoted to the overlapping of the political and economic planes both in the past and in more recent times.

Syllabus

• The historical origins of the Republic of Italy. The 1948 Constitution.
• The institutions: the Parliament.
• The role of political parties; changes engendered by the new electoral system.
• The Government.
• The President of the Republic.
• The sources of Italian legislation. The Constitutional Court.
• “Tangentopoli” and the momentous changes of the early 90’s. The interaction between politics and economics.
• The path to the Second Republic: conflicting views and future prospects.
• The move towards a federal structure. The organization and decision-making process of regional, provincial and city administrations.
• The nation’s economy: from the economic miracle to the European Economic and Monetary Union.
• The mixed nature of Italy’s economy and the drive towards privatization.

Recommended Text(s)

The Financial Times or Sole 24-Ore or la Repubblica; leading weekly magazines such as The Economist and Panorama.
D. Sassoon, Contemporary Italy – Economy, Society and Politics since 1945, Longman, London and N.Y., 2nd edition, 1997.
S. Gundle and S. Parker, eds., The New Italian Republic: From the Fall of the Berlin Wall to Berlusconi, Routledge, 1996.

Suggested Reading

D. Hine, Governing Italy – the Politics of Bargained Pluralism, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1993.
P. Furlong, Modern Italy: Representation and Reform, Routledge, 1994.
M. Frei, Italy – The Unfinished Revolution, Sinclair-Stevenson, 1996.
M. Gilbert, The Italian Revolution – The End of Politics, Italian Style?, Westview Press, 1995.

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