In a round-table discussion held at the U of Pavia on 22 April 2002, in collaboration with the Foreign Affairs Ministry & the university's political science department, the following participants offered their opinions on the effort to reconstruct Afghanistan & Italy's place in it: Enrico De Maio (special envoy to Afghanistan), Anna Dell Croce (embassy adviser), Sergio Romano (Corriere della Sera), Giovanni Porzio (Panomrama), & Giampaolo Calchi Novati (U of Pavia). They offered overviews of Afghanistan's history & the colonial experience in Central & South Asia, US foreign policy, & the war on terror. A. Siegel
The author returns, after a few years, to the theme of the nomination of life senators on the part of the president of the republic, in order to give an account of the recent applications of the relative norms &, in particular, of the paths leading to reform of those norms within the wider context of constitutional reform. The author also takes note of the recent "extra-institutional" phenomenon consisting in the fact of numerous "candidatures" being put forward informally &, conversely, the three nominations made by the current president Ciampi (2001/2004). The author concludes with some critical considerations concerning the utility of the institution of presidential nomination of life senators. Adapted from the source document.
In this paper, the author deals with the problem of misfortune from the point of view of a normative theory of justice. In particular, it is claimed that an unlucky event engenders an entitlement to assistance for its victims. The author first takes into account the view that the demand for security addressed to institutions is linked to the idea of causality; this, in terms of political justice, entails the necessity of identifying a liability. On this view, a boundary should be traced between injustice & misfortune; while events caused by human behavior can be judged as either just or unjust, merely fortuitous ones cannot. This implies that victims are entitled to compensation for damages due to unjust events, not for damages due to unlucky events. The author argues that, despite the distinction between unjust & unlucky events, the entitlement to compensation arises in both cases. In the case of merely unlucky events, rather than following the logic of liability, the administration of justice follows a different principle: the author proposes calling this the "principle of assistance." According to this principle, every unlucky event worsening the living conditions of someone must be followed by a redistributive reallocation of resources. Unlike solidarity, the principle of assistance is a (meta )rule of justice, that can be outlined starting from a rereading of Rawls's second principle. The author argues, then, that the victims of misfortune are entitled to a "right to assistance" that has a normative grounding. Adapted from the source document.
The article begins with a discussion on the definition of fundamentalist Islam & the movement to integrate Islam into political agendas in Jordan. The article continues by elaborating on how the religion is integrated into the political system & socially accepted, in contrast with other Arab nations. The author then makes a particular focus on the movement in the last 10 years. The political ranking & organization of the Islam Brotherhood is explained & its role in society is highlighted. The author considers what lessons can be learned from the Jordanian model. E. Miller
The author offers personal insight on Italian philosopher, Norberto Bobbio. He narrates his personal relationship with Bobbio, trying to describe the professor from a different perspective than those already offered by popular bibliographies & mainstream publications. The main focus is the important contribution that Bobbio offered in the political science arena. Tracing his biography & work from his contributions to juridical positivism, all the way to his public commitment as senator, the author offers an intimate relation of Bobbio's ideals & accomplishments as he shaped Italian political science, integrating it with philosophical elements. M. Williamson
This article examines the increasing importance of the policies in international relations of Vatican City. The recent attention given to the Pope's role in achieving peaceful negotiations around the world is discussed. The ability to achieve peace through the intervention of the church, its influence on the members of the community especially young people is highlighted. The author also discusses several books that study the church's involvement in international relations in various countries & geographical locations, such as Latin America, Asia, & Africa, & with other religious groups. The author draws conclusions based on what the rest of the world can learn about diplomacy from the Vatican. E. Miller
Is the referendum phenomenon a manifestation of direct democracy & hence rooted in ancient democracy, or is it the result of political conflict within the democracy of today? Are referendums in democracies the first step down the slippery slope to a plebiscitary hell, or are they the humus that can foster a wide-ranging diversification of experience while staying within the bounds of modern-day, representative democracies? The author takes the stance that the referendum phenomenon stems from modern-day, representative democracies & does not necessarily jeopardize their stability or legitimacy. As a perfect example of popular sovereignty in action, are referendums to be perceived as more favorable toward society's democratic component rather than its liberal one? The author holds that referendum voting enables both liberal & democratic issues to be faced. He discusses Sartori's analysis according to which the referendum is a manifestation of ancient democracy incompatible with the requirements of modern-day democracy, especially concerning matters of a liberal nature. In the area of referendum experiences, the author critiques Sartori's analysis & argues in favor of the compatibility between liberal democracies & referendums. 3 Tables, 58 References. Adapted from the source document.
The author offers reflections on his own experiences at Il Politico & with founder Bruno Leoni, as well as what he learned about writing from his career at the publication. E. Miller
