Is Italy Becoming a Museum? A Long Decay of Experimental Democracy
Is Italy Becoming a Museum? A Long Decay of Experimental Democracy

Author: Alfonso Borello

Publisher: Villaggio Publishing Ltd.

Published:

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13:

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“Is Italy Becoming a Museum? A Long Decay of Experimental Democracy” explores the intricate and evolving political landscape of Italy, from its Renaissance glory days to its contemporary challenges. This book delves into Italy's rich history, examining how its once-prosperous city-states laid the groundwork for a vibrant culture and economy, only to face numerous trials in the centuries that followed. The narrative begins with Italy's early struggles and triumphs, including the rise of influential families like the Medicis and Sforzas, and the profound impact of the Holy Roman Empire and the Norman Kingdom of Sicily. It then transitions into the turbulent era of Fascism under Mussolini, the devastating effects of World War II, and the remarkable post-war economic recovery known as the Italian Economic Miracle. As Italy navigates the complexities of modern democracy, the book addresses pressing contemporary issues such as regional disparities, the influence of populism, and the challenges posed by a fragmented political system. It highlights the tension between preserving Italy's high standards of manufacturing excellence and the influx of sub-quality products from immigrant communities, particularly in cities like Prato. With a focus on Italy's renowned "Made in Italy" brand, the book underscores the importance of maintaining quality and innovation in a globalized market. It also considers the potential benefits and pitfalls of increasing regional autonomy, capping the number of political parties, and embracing more open immigration policies. "Is Italy Becoming a Museum?" offers a compelling and comprehensive look at a nation with a rich past and a complex present. It invites readers to consider whether Italy can balance its historical legacy with the demands of modern governance and economic competition. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the ongoing evolution of one of the world's most fascinating democracies.

The Quarterly Register of Current History
The Quarterly Register of Current History

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1892

Total Pages: 624

ISBN-13:

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The purpose of the Quarterly register is the bringing together ... of such matters appearing in the daily newspapers as may be valuable for permanent preservation.

Dark Continent
Dark Continent

Author: Mark Mazower

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2009-05-20

Total Pages: 509

ISBN-13: 030755550X

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An unflinching and intelligent alternative history of the twentieth century that provides a provocative vision of Europe's past, present, and future. "[A] splendid book." —The New York Times Book Review Dark Continent provides an alternative history of the twentieth century, one in which the triumph of democracy was anything but a forgone conclusion and fascism and communism provided rival political solutions that battled and sometimes triumphed in an effort to determine the course the continent would take. Mark Mazower strips away myths that have comforted us since World War II, revealing Europe as an entity constantly engaged in a bloody project of self-invention. Here is a history not of inevitable victories and forward marches, but of narrow squeaks and unexpected twists, where townships boast a bronze of Mussolini on horseback one moment, only to melt it down and recast it as a pair of noble partisans the next.

Imitation Democracy
Imitation Democracy

Author: Dmitrii Furman

Publisher: Verso Books

Published: 2022-11-22

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 1788733533

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Examines the history and functioning of Russia's post-Soviet political system–an “imitation democracy” After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia under Yeltsin and Putin implemented a political system of “imitation democracy,” marked by “a huge disparity between formal constitutional principles and the reality of authoritarian rule.” How did this system take shape, how else might it have developed, and what are the prospects for re-envisioning it more democratically in the future? These questions animate Dmitrii Furman’s Imitation Democracy, a welcome antidote to books that blandly decry Putin as an omnipotent dictator, without considering his platforms, constituencies, and sources of power. With extensive public opinion polling drawn from throughout the late- and post-Soviet period, and a thorough knowledge of both official and unofficial histories, Furman offers a definitive account of the formation of the modern Russian political system, casting it into powerful relief through comparisons with other post-Soviet states. Peopled with grey technocrats, warring oligarchs, patriots, and provocateurs, Furman’s narrative details the struggles among partisan factions, and the waves of public sentiment, that shaped modern Russia’s political landscape, culminating in Putin’s third presidential term, which resolves the contradiction between the “form” and “content” of imitation democracy, “the formal dependence of power on elections and the actual dependence of elections on power.”