Governing Italy The Politics of Bargained Pluralism [Paperback]

Is it possible to make sense of a political system where 123 people, each from different parties, can run for a single seat in parliament? This volume studies this contemporary Italian political system. Through an analysis of the system, the author explains party organization, formal government institutions--legislature, executive, judiciary, administrative, and sub-national--as well as the impact of the European Community on the national political system. He includes with a discussion of recent reforms at both national and local levels, and assesses the debate on wider constitutional reform.

Introduction: The Debate on the Italian Political System
The Weight of the Past
The Economic and Social Foundations of Contemporary Politics
The Party System
Party Organization
The Constitutional Order: An Introduction
Parliament and the Representative Process
The Political Executive
The Administrative System
Regional and Local Government

A clear, well-organized and penetrating description and analysis of the Italian political system prior to 1993. --Stanley Payne,University of Wisconsin

Excellent....An original account of the workings of the Italian political system....His analysis of governmental institutions is extremely well documented and quite original. --Political Science Quarterly

An exceptionally detailed account of Italy's principal parties and government institutions. --Choice

Well-informed and interesting....Hine's style is both lucid and terse throughout....Such an attempt at Italian politics is brave at this time of turbulence, and Hine has done a good job at explaining a system that is often confusing to non-specialists. --Times Higher Education Supplement