Comparative Constitutional Engineering

by Giovanni Sartori

The second edition of this pathbreaking, highly innovative comparative study in state-building by a major political scientist is a fully updated examination of the problems of making democratic government work.

Sartori begins by assessing electoral systems. He attacks the conventional wisdom that their influence cannot be predicted and also disputes the view that proportional representation is always best and will deliver 'consensus democracy'. He argues that the double-ballot formulas deserve more consideration for their ability to facilitate governability in adverse circumstances.

His comparative assessment of presidential and semi-presidential systems and the variety of formulas that are categorized, sometimes misleadingly, as parliamentary, looks at the conditions that allow a political form to perform as intended.

He concludes with a detailed proposal for a new type of government: alternating presidentialism. This meets the need for strong parliamentary control and efficient government, with safeguards against both parliamentary obstructionism and government by decree, and so could help to avoid political paralysis in Latin America, in the post-communist countries of Europe and in countries with dysfunctional parliamentary systems such as Italy and Israel.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Political Science, Economics, Unfinished

229 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Giovanni Sartori is an Italian political scientist specialized in the study of democracy and comparative politics.

Born in Florence in 1924. Sartori began his academic career as a lecturer in the History of Modern Philosophy. He founded the first Political Science academic post in Italy, and was Dean of the newly formed University of Florence's Department of Political Science. Sartori served as Albert Schweitzer Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University from 1979 to 1994 and was later appointed Professor Emeritus.

He is a recipient of a Prince of Asturias Award (Social Sciences area, 2005). In 2009, he was the recipient of the Karl Deutsch Award of the International Political Science Association (IPSA), which honours a prominent scholar engaged in the cross-disciplinary research.

Sartori is a regular contributor, as an op-ed writer, of the leading Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera". His article "Concept Misformation in Comparative Politics" is prominent in the field, leading Gary Goertz to write, "There are few articles in political science that deserve the predicate "classic," but Sartori's ... merits the label."

Reviews

[Diego Binayan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Segundo libro que leo de Sartori y sigue sin convencerme. No recomiendo el libro para alguien que esté fuera de la Ciencia Política o que tenga pocos conocimientos de historia y derecho. Hay pasajes conceptuales interesantes pero son breves y enseguida pasa a un ejemplo histórico también breve con poca profundidad. Lo único que me aportó fue algún destello sobre sistemas de representación y sistemas de gobierno. Seguramente debe haber alguna lectura más conceptual sobre estos temas para alguien que carece de conocimientos sobre éstos.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sartori escribió el libro en 1994, al día de hoy, casi 30 años después, la gran mayoría de sus predicciones respecto de los sistemas políticos y electorales se han hecho realidad. Esto es una pequeña seña de lo grande que es Sartori y de lo grande que es su obra.
El libro contiene un profundo análisis práctico y teórico de los sistemas electorales, sistemas de partidos y regímenes de gobierno, con recomendaciones para su mejora e implementación, así como una contextualización de en que condiciones unos son mejores que otros.

[Andrea Davini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classicone della scienza politica. Utile per comprendere concetti che non sono semplicissimi. Nonostante l'argomento non sia dei più semplici, Sartori lo spiega in un modo abbastanza comprensibile a tutti con un po' di impegno, cosa non scontata per gli esperti.

[Evangelina]

Una obra maestra y fundacional de la Ciencia Política

[Juan Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personalmente no soy muy fanático de la ciencia política empírica pero acá está todo, aunque te lo pidan para entrar a franja morada.

[Manuel Lopez Chacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un buen repaso de los sistemas políticos y sus principales ventajas y desventajas. Asimismo, analiza los sistemas electorales, aunque de una manera muy somera que deja mucho que desear.

[Vojtěch Rak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Výborná kniha o volebních systémech a typech demokracie. Čtivá a vtipná. Doporučuji každému.

[Ludovico · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must ABC for anyone who dare to talk about constitutions, election systems, governance and governability, gevernment forms etc... with at least a grain of awarness;

in short the book that THE WHOLE ITALIAN POLITIC SYSTEM WOULD HAVE READ if they were not too busy in eating the country.... Sartori reveals again how to conduct laws and political studies with an attitude based on proessionalis and scientific approach ath their best.

[Millie W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy to read and understand - much more accessible than I expected from the cover! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a solid introduction to different types of political constitutions, how they are made and their strengths and weaknesses.

Not sure I agreed with some of his proposals. However, some of his arguments and predictions are almost scarily accurate when you look back at them with modern knowledge. Which I think is a mark of an accomplished and knowledgeable author.

[Wahyudi]

Buku yang sangat bagus untuk mengurai secara teoritik, perihal amandemen konstitusi, banyak belajar dari pengalaman sejumlah negara.

[KotayaLu]

Read this for school so I won't really try to rate it, but I must say that I was surprised by how easily I could read this.

[Catalina Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

if i could drink a book, i would get drunk on this one.

[Abdülkadir Özdemir]

academic teaching