Gianfranco Pasquino is Professor of Political Science at the University of Bologna.

Preface -- Introduction: A Case of Regime Crisis -- The Christian Democrats: A Party in Crisis -- The Italian Communists Divide-and Do Not Conquer -- The Italian Socialist Party and the 1992 General Election -- Facing the Test of the Ballot Boxes: The PRI, PLI and Greens in the 1992 Elections -- The Electorate of the Lega Nord -- The Anatomy of Change -- Electing the President of the Republic -- Politics Almost as Usual: The Formation of the Amato Government -- Conclusion: Inching Towards a New Regime -- Appendix: Election Results

The end of Italy's Communist Party and the decline of the Christian Democrats reflect profound changes taking place within Italy and in Europe as a whole. In this volume American and Italian scholars challenge the prevailing wisdom that Italy's politics will never change.