Giovanni Sartori «ingegnere politico»

This essay examines Giovanni Sartori as a “political engineer,” focusing on his view of political science as a rigorous, comparative discipline with practical relevance. Sartori argued that institutional analysis can clarify reform choices, anticipate their likely effects and expose unintended consequences, without offering automatic solutions. The essay traces this approach from his work on comparative constitutional engineering to his public interventions in Italy’s debate on institutional reform, including his advocacy of semi-presidentialism and a two-round electoral system. His participation in the 1997–98 Bicameral Commission illustrates both the analytical promise and the political limits of institutional design: reform proposals were reshaped by negotiation and ultimately failed.