Politics of Italy

The institutions, parties, elections, and political practices through which Italy is governed and public decisions are made.

Constitution of Italy: The supreme law establishing Italy’s republican institutions, rights, and division of public powers. It defines the institutions and rules that structure Italian government.
Parliamentary system: A system of government in which the executive depends on the legislature’s confidence to remain in office. Italy’s cabinet must retain confidence in both parliamentary chambers.
Italian institutional referendum, 1946: The 1946 vote in which Italians chose a republic over a monarchy. It established the republican form of state that frames Italian politics.
Christian Democracy (Italy): The Italian political party that dominated national governments for much of the postwar period until its dissolution in 1994. Its long dominance defined coalition politics during the First Republic.
Proportional representation: An electoral system that allocates legislative seats roughly in proportion to parties’ shares of the vote. Its logic contrasts with majoritarian rules used in parts of Italy’s mixed electoral system.
Italian Parliament: Italy’s bicameral legislature, composed of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. Both chambers legislate and must sustain the government’s confidence.
Vote of confidence: A legislative vote that establishes or tests whether a government retains parliamentary support. A government needs confidence votes to take office and remain in power.
Constituent Assembly of Italy: The elected assembly that drafted Italy’s republican constitution after the Second World War. Its constitutional settlement created the foundations of the current political system.
Italian Communist Party: The major Italian communist party founded in 1921 and dissolved in 1991. It was the principal opposition force for much of the postwar era.
Majoritarian electoral system: An electoral system that awards representation according to which candidate or party wins a constituency. Its constituency incentives differ from proportional seat allocation in Italian elections.

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