The political system. What it is, and how to approach it Maurizio Cotta - Luca Verzichelli Il sistema politico italiano Chapter 1

Topics of this chapter A sketch of the central concepts: systems analyses of political life Systemic theory Structural-functional theory Comparative politics How to approach the Italian political system

David Easton: the components of the political system Political community Political regime Values Institutions Rules Political authorities

David Easton: the theoretical framework

Gabriel Almond: political functions System functions Socialization, mobilization, selection, recruitment Process functions Interest articulation, interest aggregation, decision making Policy functions Extraction, regulation, distribution

Gabriel Almond: the theoretical framework

Comparative politics: recent trends Originally (50s-60s): Political development Actually: Beyond the national state: multilevel governance Analysis of political sub-systems

Past researches on Italian politics In the long run: Parties and elections Political cultures Since the Nineties: Relationships between justice and politics Federalism and European integration New repertories of political participation Public policies

Future researches on Italian politics Aggregation function: public opinion and party aggregation Political institutions: presidentialization Interpretation: the relative weight of domestic and international factors Normative perspective: researching the better institutional design