Berlusconi’s Italy: A critical review

Type :

Book review

Pages :

4 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

07/14/2009

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Literature

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Summary :

Introduction
Second chance for organizing electoral politics in Italy
Development of the system
Vital role of Berlusconi
The rise of Forza Italia
Conclusion
Bibliography

Abstract

E. Shin and John A. Agnew is in many ways about the notorious Silvio berlusconi but it is actually more focused on italy and its politics as a whole. It is about what the authors call the "followership" of berlusconi more so than his actual leadership. This book review will discuss the three main themes that the authors present in the book. The first theme of the book discusses how the new system of politics that developed in italy has worked and operated, the second theme of the book discusses how the new parties mobilized the old voters from the old system, and the third theme is the role of berlusconi in contemporary Italian politics. The themes revolve around the emergence of a new party system in italy after 1992 when the old post-war system finally collapsed, and then what form this system has taken since. Many are roughly familiar with the form it has taken, as it has emerged from what the authors call "polarized pluralism". The old system was polarized because there was the Communist Party (PCI) and the Christian Democratic Party (DC), as well as other parties that circulated around the main parties particularly the DC who also needed these other smaller parties to help them gain enough votes to run the country - they had to make coalitions. The divide in the old system between the center and the communists created a situation where there was no alternation between left and right - the DC always won.