This course focuses on the basic aspects and evolution of the Italian political system since World War II, and on the problems related to regionalism and regional government in Italy. In the first part of the course, students are introduced to the institutional settings, political parties, and main features of Italian society, as well as the political crisis of the nineties and its outcomes. In the second part, the focus is on the institutional performance of Italian regions and its historical and social determinants, up to the recent evolution of the “Northern Question” and Constitutional reforms. On completion of the course, students have an overview of the following topics:
1. The institutional and political landscape of Italy since the beginning of a republican and fully democratic political system (the so-called First Republic).
2. The changes to the Italian system in the nineties and the main characteristics of the Second Republic.
3. The territorial aspects of Italian politics and society and their historical roots.
4. The institutional settings and performance of Italian regions and related explanations.
Attendance policy:
Successful progress of the program depends on the full cooperation of both students and faculty members: regular attendance and active participation in class are essential parts of the learning process. Attendance at and participation in all class meetings and field-studies are required. More than TWO unjustified absences (that are not medically excused with a written certificate of the doctor or caused by serious sudden family and/or personal occurrences, as for example death of a family member) will result in a lowering of your grade.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students are able to: identify the main features of the Italian political system, and to critically evaluate its more recent evolution. They are expected, in particular, to be familiar with the issue of regionalism and with the "territorial dimension" of italian politics and society
Method of presentation:
Discussion and lectures
Required work and form of assessment:
Active class participation and class discussions (10%); News presentation (10%); mid-term written exam (25%); final written exam (25%); 4-7 pages final research paper and oral presentation (30%).
content:
(readings in parenthesis)
PART ONE
1. Introduction
2. The concepts of state and nation (excerpts from Poggi, G. (1992), Lo Stato. Natura, sviluppo e prospettive)
3. State and nation from the foundation of the Italian state to WWI (excertps from Pécout, G. (1999), Il lungo Risorgimento: la nascita dell’Italia contemporanea).
4. State and nation under the fascist regime (excerpts from Gentile, E. (2006), Il fascismo in tre capitoli)
5. The re-democratisation of Italy (excerpts from Mammarella, G. (2006) Storia d’Europa dal 1945 a oggi)
6. The Italian institutional setting (excerpts from Cotta M. and Verzichelli L (2008), Il sistema politico italiano)
7. The party system (excerpts from Cotta M. and Verzichelli L (2008), Il sistema politico italiano)
8. The political sub-cultures (excerpts from Diamanti, I. (2009), Mappe dell'Italia Politica, Bianco, rosso, verde, azzurro...e ztricolore. Mappe e colori dell’Italia politica)
9. A view of contemporary Italy I: movie show and discussion of La meglio gioventù by M. T. Giordana (2003)
10. Operation clean hands and the crisis of the Italian political system (Cotta M. (1996), “La crisi del governo di partito all’italiana”, in Cotta, M., P. Isernia e L. Verzichelli (eds.), Il gigante dai piedi di argilla. La crisi del regime partitico in Italia)
11. A view of contemporary Italy II: movie show and discussion of La meglio gioventù by M. T. Giordana (2003)
12. Mid-term exam
13. The second Republic (excerpts from Bartolini, S. e D’Alimonte, R. (2002) Maggioritario finalmente? La transizione elettorale, 1994-2001)
14. A view of contemporary Italy III: movie show and discussion of La meglio gioventù by M. T. Giordana (2003)
PART TWO
15. What is civic culture? (Almond G. e Verba S. (1970), “Un approccio allo studio della cultura politica”, in G. Sartori (ed.), Antologia di scienza politica)
16. What civic culture in Italy? (estratti da Banfield E.C. (2006), Le basi morali di una società arretrata)
17. Civic culture in the Italian regions I (excerpts from Putnam R. (1997), La tradizione civica nelle regioni italiane)
18. Civic culture in the Italian regions II (excerpts from Putnam R. (1997), La tradizione civica nelle regioni italiane)
19. Civic culture in the Italian regions III (excerpts from Putnam R. (1997), La tradizione civica nelle regioni italiane)
20. The centre-periphery cleavage: the case of the Northern League (excerpts from Diamanti, I. (1996) Il male del Nord: Lega, localismo e secessione)
21.The identity of the Italians: national, local or European? (Conti, N. (2005) Party conflict over European integration in Italy: a new dimension of party competition?; Transatlantic Trends, http://www.transatlantictrends.org[2])
22. Review
23. Final exam
Required readings:
Excerpts from:
Bartolini, S. e D’Alimonte, R. (2002), Maggioritario finalmente? La transizione elettorale, 1994-2001, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Conti, N. (2005), “Party conflict over European integration in Italy: a new dimension of party competition?” in Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans, Routledge.
Cotta, M., P. Isernia e L. Verzichelli (eds.) (1996), Il gigante dai piedi di argilla. La crisi del regime partitico in Italia, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Cotta, M., e L. Verzichelli (2008), Il sistema politico italiano, Bologna, Il Mulino
Diamanti, I. (1996), Il male del Nord: Lega, localismo e secessione, Roma, Donzelli.
Diamanti, I. (2009), Mappe dell'Italia Politica, Bianco, rosso, verde, azzurro...e tricolore, Bologna, Il Mulino
Banfield E.C. (2006), Le basi morali di una società arretrata, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Gentile, E. (2006), Il fascismo in tre capitoli, Roma, Laterza.
Mammarella, G. (2006) Storia d’Europa dal 1945 a oggi, Roma, Laterza.
Pécout, G. (1999), Il lungo Risorgimento: la nascita dell’Italia contemporanea, Milano, Mondatori.
Poggi, G. (1992), Lo Stato. Natura, sviluppo e prospettive, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Putnam, R. (1997), La tradizione civica nelle regioni italiane, Milano, Mondadori.
Sartori, G. (1982), Teoria dei partiti e caso italiano, Milano, SugarCo.
G. Sartori (ed.), Antologia di scienza politica, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Putnam, R. (1997), La tradizione civica nelle regioni italiane, Milano, Mondadori (paperback).
Cotta, M. and Verzichelli, L. (2008), Sistema Politico Italiano, Bologna, Il Mulino (also available in english as Political institutions in Italy, Oxford, OUP).
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Francesco Marangoni is a research fellow at the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Bologna at Forlì. He earned his BA, MA in European Politics, and PH.D. in Comparative and European Politics from the university of Siena. He is affiliated with the Center for the Study of Political Science at the University of Siena, and with the Center for the Analysis of Public Policy at the University of Bologna. His main research interests include political elites, electoral institutions, and legislative behaviour.
Nationalism And Regionalism In Contemporary Italian Politics (Italian-Taught)
This course focuses on the basic aspects and evolution of the Italian political system since World War II, and on the problems related to regionalism and regional government in Italy. In the first part of the course, students are introduced to the institutional settings, political parties, and main features of Italian society, as well as the political crisis of the nineties and its outcomes. In the second part, the focus is on the institutional performance of Italian regions and its historical and social determinants, up to the recent evolution of the “Northern Question” and Constitutional reforms. On completion of the course, students have an overview of the following topics:
1. The institutional and political landscape of Italy since the beginning of a republican and fully democratic political system (the so-called First Republic).
2. The changes to the Italian system in the nineties and the main characteristics of the Second Republic.
3. The territorial aspects of Italian politics and society and their historical roots.
4. The institutional settings and performance of Italian regions and related explanations.
Successful progress of the program depends on the full cooperation of both students and faculty members: regular attendance and active participation in class are essential parts of the learning process. Attendance at and participation in all class meetings and field-studies are required. More than TWO unjustified absences (that are not medically excused with a written certificate of the doctor or caused by serious sudden family and/or personal occurrences, as for example death of a family member) will result in a lowering of your grade.
By the end of the course, students are able to: identify the main features of the Italian political system, and to critically evaluate its more recent evolution. They are expected, in particular, to be familiar with the issue of regionalism and with the "territorial dimension" of italian politics and society
Discussion and lectures
Active class participation and class discussions (10%); News presentation (10%); mid-term written exam (25%); final written exam (25%); 4-7 pages final research paper and oral presentation (30%).
(readings in parenthesis)
PART ONE
1. Introduction
2. The concepts of state and nation (excerpts from Poggi, G. (1992), Lo Stato. Natura, sviluppo e prospettive)
3. State and nation from the foundation of the Italian state to WWI (excertps from Pécout, G. (1999), Il lungo Risorgimento: la nascita dell’Italia contemporanea).
4. State and nation under the fascist regime (excerpts from Gentile, E. (2006), Il fascismo in tre capitoli)
5. The re-democratisation of Italy (excerpts from Mammarella, G. (2006) Storia d’Europa dal 1945 a oggi)
6. The Italian institutional setting (excerpts from Cotta M. and Verzichelli L (2008), Il sistema politico italiano)
7. The party system (excerpts from Cotta M. and Verzichelli L (2008), Il sistema politico italiano)
8. The political sub-cultures (excerpts from Diamanti, I. (2009), Mappe dell'Italia Politica, Bianco, rosso, verde, azzurro...e ztricolore. Mappe e colori dell’Italia politica)
9. A view of contemporary Italy I: movie show and discussion of La meglio gioventù by M. T. Giordana (2003)
10. Operation clean hands and the crisis of the Italian political system (Cotta M. (1996), “La crisi del governo di partito all’italiana”, in Cotta, M., P. Isernia e L. Verzichelli (eds.), Il gigante dai piedi di argilla. La crisi del regime partitico in Italia)
11. A view of contemporary Italy II: movie show and discussion of La meglio gioventù by M. T. Giordana (2003)
12. Mid-term exam
13. The second Republic (excerpts from Bartolini, S. e D’Alimonte, R. (2002) Maggioritario finalmente? La transizione elettorale, 1994-2001)
14. A view of contemporary Italy III: movie show and discussion of La meglio gioventù by M. T. Giordana (2003)
PART TWO
15. What is civic culture? (Almond G. e Verba S. (1970), “Un approccio allo studio della cultura politica”, in G. Sartori (ed.), Antologia di scienza politica)
16. What civic culture in Italy? (estratti da Banfield E.C. (2006), Le basi morali di una società arretrata)
17. Civic culture in the Italian regions I (excerpts from Putnam R. (1997), La tradizione civica nelle regioni italiane)
18. Civic culture in the Italian regions II (excerpts from Putnam R. (1997), La tradizione civica nelle regioni italiane)
19. Civic culture in the Italian regions III (excerpts from Putnam R. (1997), La tradizione civica nelle regioni italiane)
20. The centre-periphery cleavage: the case of the Northern League (excerpts from Diamanti, I. (1996) Il male del Nord: Lega, localismo e secessione)
21.The identity of the Italians: national, local or European? (Conti, N. (2005) Party conflict over European integration in Italy: a new dimension of party competition?; Transatlantic Trends, http://www.transatlantictrends.org [2])
22. Review
23. Final exam
Excerpts from:
Bartolini, S. e D’Alimonte, R. (2002), Maggioritario finalmente? La transizione elettorale, 1994-2001, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Conti, N. (2005), “Party conflict over European integration in Italy: a new dimension of party competition?” in Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans, Routledge.
Cotta, M., P. Isernia e L. Verzichelli (eds.) (1996), Il gigante dai piedi di argilla. La crisi del regime partitico in Italia, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Cotta, M., e L. Verzichelli (2008), Il sistema politico italiano, Bologna, Il Mulino
Diamanti, I. (1996), Il male del Nord: Lega, localismo e secessione, Roma, Donzelli.
Diamanti, I. (2009), Mappe dell'Italia Politica, Bianco, rosso, verde, azzurro...e tricolore, Bologna, Il Mulino
Banfield E.C. (2006), Le basi morali di una società arretrata, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Gentile, E. (2006), Il fascismo in tre capitoli, Roma, Laterza.
Mammarella, G. (2006) Storia d’Europa dal 1945 a oggi, Roma, Laterza.
Pécout, G. (1999), Il lungo Risorgimento: la nascita dell’Italia contemporanea, Milano, Mondatori.
Poggi, G. (1992), Lo Stato. Natura, sviluppo e prospettive, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Putnam, R. (1997), La tradizione civica nelle regioni italiane, Milano, Mondadori.
Sartori, G. (1982), Teoria dei partiti e caso italiano, Milano, SugarCo.
G. Sartori (ed.), Antologia di scienza politica, Bologna, Il Mulino.
Transatlantic Trends, http://www.transatlantictrends.org [2]
Putnam, R. (1997), La tradizione civica nelle regioni italiane, Milano, Mondadori (paperback).
Cotta, M. and Verzichelli, L. (2008), Sistema Politico Italiano, Bologna, Il Mulino (also available in english as Political institutions in Italy, Oxford, OUP).
Francesco Marangoni is a research fellow at the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Bologna at Forlì. He earned his BA, MA in European Politics, and PH.D. in Comparative and European Politics from the university of Siena. He is affiliated with the Center for the Study of Political Science at the University of Siena, and with the Center for the Analysis of Public Policy at the University of Bologna. His main research interests include political elites, electoral institutions, and legislative behaviour.