1,721,061 research outputs found
Fallen Idols. State Failure and the Weakness of Authoritarianism
No full textThe Author tackles the RoA thesis, and opposes to it the ‘Weakness of Authoritarianism’ (WoA) argument. According to the latter, the authoritarian regimes are politically poorly institutionalized, as it is proved by their incapacity to transmit the political power peacefully and smoothly. Therefore, the authoritarian regimes are by definition on the verge of breakdown, they are constitutively weak and they can only precariously survive only as long as some regime factors (a political party, a bureaucracy penetrated by the dominant elite, a loyal and efficient coercive apparatus) manage to stem social and political mobilization against the power incumbents. The institutionalization of the coercive apparatus should not be considered in itself, but together with other aspects of the political institutionalization of a given regime. Some evidence is drawn from the recent cases of regime breakdown in the Middle East and North Africa
Democrazie Difficili
No full textSi mostrano i principali tentativi teorici di studiare le cause dell'instabilità democratica, sottolineando la scarsa rilevanza attribuita all'impatto della dimensione istituzionale sul metodo democratico di competizione. Il fatto che la democrazia sia anche - se non soprattutto - uno "strumento istituzionale" di soluzione della competizione politica democratica è uno degli aspetti più negletti nella teoria democratica contemporanea.Si conduce un'analisi comparata di Italia, Repubblica di Weimar, Cile, Francia e Finlandia
Revolutions and Democracy
Full text linkThe concept of revolution has been very much debated in sociology and in political science, because it involves the twofold problem of political stability and democratization. The aim of this paper is to enquire on the pure concept of revolution and on its theoretic application in social sciences. The distinction between Might and Authority is introduced, as two forms of power resting of different levels of institutionalization, and a preliminary critical revision of the concept of institutionalization is advanced. It is then suggested that a basic variable in the analysis of the revolution may be the level of institutionalization of the challenged power. So the research questions are: What is the power situation leading to the outbreak of a revolution? Are there any differences between the causal factors in the breakdown of institutionalized and de-institutionalized power structures? It is argued that Revolutions are bound to happen where the level of political institutionalization of the community is very low or rapidly declining
Politica e religione. Considerazioni sulla tolleranza e il relativismo in democrazia
Full text linkPolitics and Religion. Some Considerations on Tolerance and Relativism in Democracy.
Giuseppe Ieraci
The essay addresses the general theme of the relationship between religion and politics. It is initially argued that the values and symbols connected to the religious sphere (i.e., those promoting social and religious identity) circulate in any social systems together with other values and symbols not connected with religion. Historically, political power has established various relationships with the religious sphere, although not necessarily according to a fixed pattern in any political regime and at any time. Secondly, it is argued that the case of democracy is peculiar, in that it favors a kind of social and political pluralism which gradually reduces the religious sphere to a secondary role or, at least, places it on the same level with other forms of social identity, based on different cultural values and symbols. Finally, the issue of the relationship between democracy and tolerance is dealt with. John Locke’s theses on tolerance are presented and discussed. According to John Locke, political power ought to tolerate only the individual beliefs and professions of faith or ideals. Consequently, in all the matters in which these beliefs or professions of faith have a direct or indirect impact on the social life the exclusive jurisdiction of the political power should be restored. In conclusion, the principle of >, which could be drawn from John Locke’s thesis, still remains effectual for the coexistence of diversities in democracy, and provides a better antibody against fanaticism and fundamentalism than cultural relativism
Le teorie delle coalizioni
No full textAnalisi critica delle teorie della coalizioni politiche delle varie "generazioni": la prima (teoria dei giochi e modelli razionali), la seconda (induttiva), la terza (neoistituzionale)
Presidenti, governi e parlamenti. Analisi comparata delle istituzioni di vertice in 27 democrazie contemporanee
Full text linkEsaminando le concrete distribuzioni di poteri e di risorse tra le principali istituzioni politiche (governi, parlamenti, presidenti) delle democrazie contemporanee, sia nel mondo occidentale sia nell’Est europeo recentemente democratizzato, l’autore costruisce una tipologia in cui ciascun modello (parlamentarismo, premierato, presidenzialismo, parlamentarismo con presidente, semiparlamentarismo, semipresidenzialismo, direttorio) è oggetto di un’analisi empirica
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