The Liberal State, c1911-18 - The nature of the political system Flashcards
When was Italy fully united?
1870
When was Italy’s political system created?
When it was united, in 1870.
What was Italy’s new parliamentary system similar to?
Britain’s
What was the constitution based on?
That of the formerly independent kingdom of Piedmont
When was the constitution created?
1848
What rights did the constitution guarantee?
- equality before the law
- free press
- the right to free assembly.
What became the basis of Italy’s political system?
the constitutional monarchy and elected parliament.
What wide-ranging political powers did the King of Italy have?
the power to:
-appoint and dismiss government ministers and senators, including the PM
-control foreign policy
He was also the face of the government in times of crisis.
What was the role of the PM?
The head of the government, and was responsible for the day-to-day running of the country.
Who did the PM need the support of to keep his position and propose laws?
Parliament
What were the limitations of the electorate based on?
Age, property ownership and educational qualifications.
Until 1912, how many men could vote?
25%
What did the small electorate mean?
That most people didn’t participate in politics before 1912 and consequently the Italians felt alienation from the political system.
What were the most important political party groupings?
- Liberals
- Radicals and Republicans
- Socialists
- Catholics
- Nationalists
Other than the issues with the electorate, what was another major issue with the system?
It was very elitist, unstable and corrupt.
Even though political parties existed, what was the problem with them?
They acted more as labels for groups of ambitious men who wanted to gain power- they did not often have a coherent political ideology.
What was the consequence of weak political parties?
It meant that governments were always coalitions of different factions.
What did the system of coalition building become known as?
Trasformismo.
What effect did these coalition governments have?
It meant that Italian political life was very unstable, because coalitions fell apart quickly. This led to a succession of short-term governments.
How many governments were there between 1900-11?
9 governments, only one of which lasted more than two years.
Why were most of the Deputies in parliament not very attached to their party or faction?
They were in parliament to serve local interests.
What did the lack of loyalty of the Deputies to their parties mean?
That they could be bribed to switch alliance if they were offered enough money or a promotion. It also meant that there was little sense of national politics or unity in government.
