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

2. 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

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

4. David Easton: the theoretical framework

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

6. Gabriel Almond: the theoretical framework

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

8. 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

9. 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