1,720,998 research outputs found
Does changing electoral systems affect (Corrupt) particularistic exchanges? Evidence from the italian case
Full text linkThe literature on forms of particularism explores the impact of institutional variables on what is denoted, alternatively, as constituency service, pork-barrel politics, or corruption. Attention has mostly been given to electoral systems, but other institutional provisions and political factors, such as party strength, are also relevant. The present contribution investigates the likely effects of electoral reforms on corruption control and seeks confirmation of the hypothesis that single member plurality (even within mixed member) systems are conducive to a type of particularism that might help fight corruption, taking Italy as a case. We test the impact of two electoral reforms and three electoral systems enacted in Italy between 1996 and 2016, whose primary aim was bolstering enfeebled party leaderships and facilitating the formation of durable governments, and we compare the effort at corruption control of the Italian governments born under these different electoral systems with those of other European democracies
Elementi di scienza politica
No full textIn questo testo gli autori del fortunato «Manuale di scienza politica» hanno scelto di presentare la materia in modo semplice e compatto, pensando a studenti alle prese con un insegnamento di base di un corso triennale. I temi sono quelli essenziali di ogni corso di scienza politica, ma vengono affrontati con accostamenti originali: dopo un’agile introduzione alla disciplina, i capitoli ripercorrono oggetti di studio classici come i sistemi politici e i regimi (democratici e non), gli attori della politica contemporanea (partiti, gruppi, movimenti, classe politica) le istituzioni (elezioni, rappresentanza, parlamenti e governi). Infine, vengono trattati i processi decisionali, le trasformazioni della governance globale e le ripercussioni sul funzionamento delle democrazie. Pandoracampus completa l’offerta per studenti e docenti con materiali didattici, esercizi, approfondimenti
The COVID-19 Crisis and the Reshaping of Multi-Level Governance in the European Union: A Paired Comparison of Germany and Italy
No full textThe outbreak of COVID-19 challenged the democratic governance and economic performance of EU member states. Most national governments implemented restrictions on social and economic life in order to mitigate the circulation of the Sars-CoV-2 virus; at the same time, the resulting economic costs were financed by a combination of national and common debts. Eventually, the combination of health, political, and economic crises prompted national political executives to find collective solutions to the emergency. This chapter assesses the linkage between national responses and EU policy outputs. To what extent do variations among countries’ policies account for the EU reaction? How did EU policy affect patterns of national political governance? The empirical analysis presents a paired comparison of Germany and Italy, which are introduced as illustrative cases. Overall, it suggests that the observed shift in EU policy from fiscal consolidation to debt mutualization was the indirect outcome of particular choices of national crisis management. Yet, states’ decision-making convergence at the EU level affected national political processes differently, depending on countries’ idiosyncrasies. The findings contribute to the debate about the interconnection between national responses to crises and EU policy
Varieties of Private Household Debt in Europe: Incompatibility of Culturally Diverse Lending Regimes Between Germany and Italy?
No full textThis article examines the varying development of private household debt across European countries, using a mixed methods design. Quantitative analysis demonstrates that trade deficits, public debt and unemployment spending influence the volume of private debt. While this suggests a high problem load for Italian households, a comparative case study on Germany and Italy reveals that more German than Italian households end up in critical debt. This is explained by the two countries’ different cultures of lending. Italian households borrow more heavily from family and friends than German ones. Moreover, the competitive dynamic of the German growth model creates incentives for lowincome groups to borrow; to the extent this dynamic affects both countries, this translates into demand for more risky loans in Germany and economic pressure on families in Italy, ultimately limiting the compatibility of the different lending regimes
Smart specialisation in the reformed EU Cohesion policy
No full textThe chapter outlines some of the different issues which have come together to help position smart specialisation as a key element in the European Union (EU) Cohesion Policy reform agenda. Policy prioritisation is always a thorny issue, and in the case of heterogeneous regions it is an especially difficult challenge. However, a common set of principles can be identified which help to set innovation and knowledge-related policy interventions on a sound and realistic footing even in diverse environments. The various ideas out of which these principles have emerged are from a range of differing fields and literatures which have converged into a cohesive set of principles. These principles are workable and practicable for helping regions which are designing regional, urban and local developing policies under the overall EU regional policy umbrella. The intellectual incorporation of smart specialisation within the EU regional policy agenda is seen to be consistent both with the broader reform context and also with the interests of different stakeholders and constituencies. Indeed, this is very much part of its appeal, in that it can connect with diverse actors, and therefore be a catalyst for change
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