LG302 Comparative European Politics Italy: the pitfalls of an excessively dispersed form of parliamentary government

Majoritarian and consensual democracies According to Arend Lijphart A majoritarian democracy “concentrates power in the hands of the majority” A consensual democracy “tries to arrive at as much consensus as possible by restraining majority rule and by sharing, dispersing, and limiting political power” To distinguish between them, Lijphart focused on two political dimensions and 10 institutional characteristics

Majoritarian and consensual democracies

First Italian Republic ( )  1947 Constitution: a power dispersing mechanism  designed to prevent a recurrence of fascism.  Checks and balances to limit the power of an executive-led parliamentary majority.  President with counter-powers to those of the govt.  Bicameral parliament  Proportional representation voting system  Regional decentralisation of power  Constitutional court  Judicial review

First Republic= the consensual model Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian or consensual? Nature of executive powerConsensual Executive-legislative relationsConsensual Party systemConsensual Electoral systemConsensual Interest group systemConsensual Centre-periphery relationsMajoritarian Type of legislatureConsensual Type of constitutionConsensual Judicial reviewConsensual Central bankMajoritarian

Consensual prototypes Majoritarian prototypes Consensus joint-power & Majoritarian federal-unitary Majoritarian joint-power & Consensus federal- unitary

First Italian Republic ( )  No counterbalance that would help the government to deal with the checks & balances.  Polarisation between democratic parties and anti-democratic extremes (polarised pluralism)  Christian Democrats (CD) always in power, communists (PCI) always in opposition.  Party fragmentation made coalition-building a difficult and unstable process.  1990s: the ideological divide that froze the party system between 1950s-1980s disappears.  : party system collapse, constitutional reform debates.

Second Italian Republic ( )  Shift from consensus to competition encouraged by the introduction of a quasi- majoritarian voting system in  The party system takes on a bipolar logic without reducing the number of parties or increasing the stability of coalitions (fragmented bipolarity).  The government assumes an increasingly central role in the political process without being institutionally strengthened.  Subnational level reforms (direct election of regional governors and city mayors.

Consensus joint-power & Majoritarian federal-unitary Consensual prototypes Majoritarian prototypes Majoritarian joint-power & Consensus federal-unitary

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?Consensual 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?Consensual Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?Consensual Centralised or decentralised state?Majoritarian One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?Consensual 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?Consensual Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?Consensual Centralised or decentralised state?Consensual One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Consensual

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?Consensual 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?Consensual Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?Consensual Centralised or decentralised state?Majoritarian One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?Consensual 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?Consensual Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?Consensual Centralised or decentralised state?Consensual One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian DateNo. PMCabinetsLegislaturesAverage PM / Legislature

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?Consensual 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?Consensual Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?Consensual Centralised or decentralised state?Consensual One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Consensual

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic 2000s Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?ConsensualConsensual? 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?Consensual Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?Consensual Centralised or decentralised state?Majoritarian One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?Consensual 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?Consensual Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?Consensual Centralised or decentralised state?Majoritarian One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?ConsensualConsensual? 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?Consensual Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?Consensual Centralised or decentralised state?Majoritarian One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

The electoral system mixed-member proportional system Chamber of Deputies (630 seats) 475 seats by plurality vote (75%) 155 seats by party lists (25%)

The electoral system mixed-member proportional system

The electoral system compensatory party-list proportional system Chamber of Deputies (630 seats) At least 55% of all seats awarded to the biggest party/coalition at national level 2013 Election

Senate (315 seats) 55% of each region’s seats awarded to the biggest party/coalition there The electoral system compensatory party-list proportional system

The electoral system: partially compensatory mixed system

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?ConsensualConsensual? 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?ConsensualConsensual? Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?Consensual Centralised or decentralised state?Majoritarian One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?ConsensualConsensual? 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?ConsensualConsensual? Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?ConsensualConsensual? Centralised or decentralised state?Majoritarian One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?ConsensualConsensual? 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?ConsensualConsensual? Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?Consensual Centralised or decentralised state?Consensual One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Consensual

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?ConsensualConsensual? 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?ConsensualConsensual? Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?ConsensualConsensual? Centralised or decentralised state?MajoritarianConsensual One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?ConsensualConsensual? 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?ConsensualConsensual? Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?ConsensualConsensual? Centralised or decentralised state?MajoritarianConsensual One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?ConsensualConsensual? 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?ConsensualConsensual? Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?ConsensualConsensual? Centralised or decentralised state?MajoritarianConsensual One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?ConsensualConsensual? 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?ConsensualConsensual? Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?ConsensualConsensual? Centralised or decentralised state?MajoritarianConsensual One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?Majoritarian

Lijphart’s criteriaMajoritarian/ consensual First Republic Majoritarian/ consensual Second Republic Single-party govts or coalitions?Consensual Govt dominates legislature or not?ConsensualConsensual? 2-party or multi-party system?Consensual FPTP or PR electoral system?ConsensualConsensual? Pluralist or corporatist interest groups?ConsensualConsensual? Centralised or decentralised state?MajoritarianConsensual One or two working chambers of parliament?Consensual Flexible or rigid constitution?Consensual Govt dominates judiciary or judicial review?Consensual Dependent or independent central bank?MajoritarianConsensual

Consensus joint-power & Majoritarian federal-unitary Consensual prototypes Majoritarian prototypes Majoritarian joint-power & Consensus federal-unitary

Consensus joint-power & Majoritarian federal-unitary Consensual prototypes Majoritarian prototypes Majoritarian joint-power & Consensus federal-unitary

Conclusion Italy has a dispersed form of parliamentary govt. A shift has taken place from a parliament-centred to a government-centred system with clear political leadership since the early 1990s. However, the primacy of the head of government has not been codified by new norms.

Sum-up weeks 3-6 Belgium, Netherlands France, UK, Ireland Germany, Italy

Consensus joint-power & Majoritarian federal-unitary Consensual prototypes Majoritarian prototypes Majoritarian joint-power & Consensus federal-unitary

Consensus joint-power & Majoritarian federal-unitary Consensual prototypes Majoritarian prototypes Majoritarian joint-power & Consensus federal-unitary

Consensus joint-power & Majoritarian federal-unitary Consensual prototypes Majoritarian prototypes Majoritarian joint-power & Consensus federal-unitary

Change in the Westminster model

Consensus joint-power & Majoritarian federal-unitary Consensual prototypes Majoritarian prototypes Majoritarian joint-power & Consensus federal-unitary

Consensus joint-power & Majoritarian federal-unitary Consensual prototypes Majoritarian prototypes Majoritarian joint-power & Consensus federal-unitary

Consensus joint-power & Majoritarian federal-unitary Consensual prototypes Majoritarian prototypes Majoritarian joint-power & Consensus federal-unitary

Essay writing guidelines

No matter what question you choose, make sure your essay is a comparative analysis of at least two countries. Choose a title. Divide your paper into sections and use subheadings to emphasise the structure of your work and show how your argument develops. Divide each section into separate paragraphs. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the argument, develop that argument in the paragraph body and close it with a wrap up or a conclusion of your argument. Check that your paragraphs are logically connected. Don’t use bullet points / don’t list your ideas. Avoid repetitions and excessive subjectivity (i.e. “I feel”, “I believe”). Do not quote excessively. Paraphrase what other authors say (always using always in-text citations!) and make a logical argument that emphasises your own independent thinking. When you quote or you paraphrase a specific idea cite the page, in addition to the author and publishing year (e.g. Gallagher 2005: 86). Essay structure do’s & don’ts

Plagiarism of any length will attract heavy penalties. Include the word count of your essay on the first page. Don’t deviate with more than 10 per cent from the required length. Use the same reference system throughout the paper. Font size: 12pt, Time New Roman. Line-spacing: 1,5. Alignment: Justified. Page numbers on each page. Pay attention to good grammar & punctuation. Use simple and coherent editing. Use the same indentation throughout the paper. Proof-read Spell-check Essay writing essentials