Authors: Bobbio, Matteucci, Pasquino
Summary: This long entry (about 7,000 words) first describes the various functions of constitutions, then surveys the history of the Italian constitution, and finally closes with a comparative outline of constitutional experiences.
A constitution may be understood as having several distinct functions: (1) the function of guaranteeing basic freedoms, which is linked to the concept of liberal state; (2) the "constitutive" function of a constitution that marks the birth of a new state; (3) the related function of legitimizing a new regime or new rulers; and (4) the function of propaganda and political education. The entry criticizes the formal concept of constitution, because it is difficult to identify the main normative principles of the State without considering the particular history of each constitution and each State. Instead of a formal approach, the entry proposes the idea of a "material" constitution, based on the normative power of political will and representing a regime's actual origin and source of power.
Next, the entry focuses on the Italian constitutional process. The focus is on the role of Italian political parties in the constitutional framework.
In the third and final part, the entry sketches contemporary constitutional experiences from a comparative perspective. Britain's constitutional history is the source of the modern liberal democratic conception of the state. The Soviet Union's history represents a departure from this classic liberal democratic conception: the 1936 Soviet Constitution, in particular, served as a model for the other European socialist countries.