Italy Essay Thesis Example For Students

Italy Essay Thesis History Italys birth as a nation began in 1861 when the city/states of the peninsula and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily united under the regime of King Victor Emmanuel. Originally Greeks had settled in the southern tip of the Italian peninsula in the 7th and 8th century B.C. Etruscans and Romans populated the central and northern regionsBy the third century A.D. the peninsula had been unified under the Roman Empire along with the neighboring islands. The Empire dominated the Mediterranean world from 1 A.D. until its collapse in 5 A.D. After the empires collapse all the once controlled regions were plagued by political discourse, which made them vulnerable to invasion. In the 11th century the commercial prosperity in the countrys northern and central cities combined with the influence of the Renaissance tempered the effects of the existing medieval political rivalries. The calm allowed for the idea of a single Italian government to blossom. By 1861 a nationalist movement had emerged and reunified Italy, except for Rome, which would follow in 1870, and Victor Emmanuel was proclaimed King. Italy remained a constitutional monarchy with a parliament elected until 1922 when Benito Mussolini established a fascist dictatorship. Mussolinis disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italys defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and was buoyed by the economic revival that followed. Italy is a charter member of NATO and the ECC (European Economic Community)Italy has been at the forefront of the European economic and political unification and has been a member of the European Monetary Union since 1999. PeopleItaly has the fifth highest population density in Europe (490 people per square miles). Though Italian is the primary language there are still a few minority groups through the country. The largest group is the German-speaking people of Bolzano province and the Slovene in Trieste. There are also small blocks of Albanian, Greek, Ladino, and French inhabitants as well. Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion among Italians but all faiths are granted equal freedoms under the present constitution. The Roman Catholic Church, though dominant, had its temporal powers ended in 1870 with a series of pacts with Italys government. The Lateran Pacts of 1929 recognized Vatican City as a sovereign entity. The pacts also include an end of Roman Catholicism as the nations state religion. This allowed for Protestant and Jewish communities to evolve as well as a growing Muslim immigrant community. Italys Renaissance period during the 14th and 15th centuries began a cultural revolution that would eventually spread throughout Europe. Authors such as Petrarch, Tasso, and Arioso emerged and invoked a long lasting influence over the literary world, as did the eras artists and composers. The Italian romantic operas penned by Rossi, Verdi, and Puccini along with the artistry of Raphael, Botticelli and Michelangelo set lofty standards that their colleagues today strive for. Todays Italy continues in todays world to be a strong contributor to Western culture. Voting in Italian elections is open to anyone over eighteen years of age except in senatorial elections where the minimum voting age is twenty-five years. GovernmentThe Italian government is a centralized one. Each leader of the five provinces are appointed by and made accountable to the central government. The Italian constitution also provides for twenty regions, which are governed by limited powers. The regions of Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige, Valle dAosta, and Friuli-Venezia Gullah operate under special autonomy statues. The remaining fifteen, which were established in 1970, vote for regional councils. The Legislative BranchThe 1948 constitution established a bicameral parliament made of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The Chamber of Deputies (Camera Dei Deputati) consists of 630 seats of which 475 seats are directly elected. The remaining 155 seats are elected by regional representation. All members serve five-year terms. The Senate (Senato della Republica) is made up of 315 seats that are elected by a popular vote. 232 of the senate seats are directly elected and the remaining 83 are elected by a regional proportional representation. There is also a small number of senators for life which includes former presidents. Legislation may originate in either House but a majority in both must pass it. Education as a social institution EssayItaly is also short in farmable land but it still boasts 1.8million employed by farming. Italian farms average 7acres which reasons why most of Italys food supply is imported. The small and medium sized family operated manufacturing businesses is Italys economic strength. But, most of the ingredients needed in manufacturing are also imported. Italys major industry consists of precision machinery, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and fashions. Italy had an economic downturn after 9/11 but now appears to be on equal footing with its western European neighbors. Today Italy has a primary budget surplus, which is the result of many years of government cutbacks in spending. Also key to the result was Italys ability to control their national debt. Since 1992 the Italian government has made these practices primary as well as developing new ways of generating revenue. LABORLabor unions in Italy used to be affiliated with political parties but now operate as individual entities. Over 40% of Italys work force is a union member. Italys unemployment issue, likes its division of wealth, is similar to the United States because its regional. Italys unemployment rates run high in the south and low in the north. During the 1990s Italys unions made major strives for their members. Among these achievements were a four-year wage moderation agreement, pension reform, and plans to stimulate the market in the economically depressed areas, like the southern region. But, the same issues that plagued Italys government, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, and the effects of organized crime, have made investors suspicious of moving into the southern region. Women and young people are the most effected and many others choose to work illegally. Illegally hiring practices are widespread but the jobs feature low wages and no protections or benefits. In April of 2002 Prime Minister Berlusconis labor reform caused a successful strike to protest by union members. ConclusionIn 2003, Italy is still famous for its cultural influences, history and cars but still has gray clouds over its political arena. President Ciampi is presently on criminal trial for extoration and was the first President to testify at his own trial. Also, Prime Minister Berlusconi drew headlines for his desire for a close friendship with President George W. Bush. The Prime Minister was aloud supporter for Operation Iraqi freedom. The thousands of big businessmen that were investigated in Clean Hands along with the many politicians keeps an eagle eye on the sway of the right wing Eurosceptics that reside in Berlusconis government. Grade A