Italian Constitution Establishes a Parliamentary Republic: Essay Sample

Introduction

Since its promulgation on the first day of January 1948, the Italian constitution establishes the country as a parliamentary republic, with a system of government consisting of three arms similar to that of the United States - The executive branch, the legislative arm, and the judiciary (Fabbrini, 2009). The country chose a parliamentary republic after the abolishment of the monarchy by popular vote in a national referendum on the second day of June 1946.

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The Legislative Arm of Government

The country's parliamentary republic has a multiparty system, with a bicameral house consisting of the House of Deputies and the Senate. The two houses perform similar functions, with the only difference being that the house of deputies is a little younger (21 to 25 years) while the senate is much older (25 to 40 years). The parliament elects the president of the country, meaning that the only elections the citizenry engages in are the parliamentary elections.

The Executive Arm of Government

Headed by the president (in the capacity of head of state) and a prime minister (who is the head of government), the executive arm is the largest (Strom, et al., 2006). The president, who is elected by the legislators, appoints the prime minister who acts as the head of the council of ministers. The council of ministers is charged with the responsibility of making and implementing government policy. On the other hand, the president, who is the commander in chief of the Italian defense forces, is one of the symbols of national unity (Dandelet, Marino & American Academy in Rome, 2007). He represents the country in international arenas and can declare war.

The Judicial Arm of Government

The judicial arm of the government is the most independent branch of the Italian government, although the minister for justice has significant input in the way the department is organized. Also, the president and the minister for justice, who are both members of the executive, form part of the High Council of the Judiciary, which executes disciplinary actions against judges (Rose, 1991; Krieger & Research and Education Association, 2016). The judiciary interprets the Italian law, which is founded on Napoleonic codes, Roman laws, and later statutes. The chart below illustrates a summarized version of the Italian system of government.

References

Dandelet, T. J., Marino, J. A., & American Academy in Rome. (2007). Spain in Italy: Politics, society, and religion 1500-1700. Leiden: Brill.

Fabbrini, S. (2009). The transformation of Italian democracy. Bulletin of Italian Politics, 1(1), 29-47.

Krieger, L., & Research and Education Association. (2016). AP European history crash course. Piscataway, New Jersey: Research & Education Association

Rose, R. (1991). Prime ministers in parliamentary democracies. West European Politics, 14(2), 9-24.

Strom, K., Kaare, S. W. C. M. T. B., & Bergman, T. (2006). Delegation and Accountability in Parliamentary Democracies. Oxford: Oxford Scholarship Online.