Description
Book SynopsisTraces the diplomatic maneuverings and political drama of national unification in nineteenth-century Germany and Italy. This book demonstrates that Germany's and Italy's 'founding fathers' were constrained by two different pre-unification patterns of institutional development. It offers a broader theory of federalism's origins.
Trade ReviewCo-Winner of the 2007 Best Book Award, European Politics and Society Section of the American Political Science Association Winner of the 2004 Gabriel Almond Award for Best Dissertation in Comparative Politics, American Political Science Association Winner of the 2003 Ernst B. Haas Prize for Best Dissertation in European Politics, American Political Science Association "Ziblatt brilliantly addresses ... [an] institutional puzzle: Why, when Italy and Germany became nation-states, did Italy become a unitary state and Germany a federal one? Ziblatt is a careful and methodical researcher who applies to the study of historical processes a vast array of qualitative and sensible quantitative methods... [A] bold and original analysis."--Stanley Hoffmann, Foreign Affairs "A well-researched study of comparative political development from an institutional perspective... The book contains useful notes and appendixes, and could be useful in history or political science courses."--Choice "Well-researched and written, [Structuring the State] provides a highly compelling alternative to the conventional wisdom on federalism."--Louise K. Davidson-Schmich, German Studies Review "Ziblatt has put the question of the origins of federalism on the table, suggested a provocative answer to it, creatively applied the theory of infrastructural power, and pointed the way toward many new issues to explore. This is a piece of scholarship that is sure to become the touchstone for future research on the origins of federalism, and, if we are lucky, many other scholars will follow Ziblatt's lead in investigating the relationship between infrastructural and despotic power."--Monica Prasad, American Journal of Sociology "There are several reasons to read this book. The first one is the originality of the subject... The second reason to read this book is the theoretical implications of the cases under analysis... The third reason is the fact that this research can be fruitfully replicated... In any case, this book and the methodology used by the author will certainly constitute an extremely useful contribution."--Marco Brunazzo, Congrips Newsletter
Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables ix Preface xi CHAPTER ONE: Introduction: How Nation-States Are Made 1 CHAPTER TWO: The National Critical Juncture: An Overview of the Dynamics of Regionalism and National Unification 18 CHAPTER THREE: The National Moment in Germany: The Dynamics of Regionalism and National Unification, 1834-1871 32 CHAPTER FOUR: The National Moment in Italy: The Dynamics of Regionalism and National Unification, 1815-1860 57 CHAPTER FIVE: From Strong Regional Loyalties to a Unitary System: National Unification by Conquest and the Case of Italy 79 CHAPTER SIX: From Strong Regional Loyalties to a Federal System: National Unification by Negotiation and the Case of Germany 109 CHAPTER SEVEN: Conclusion: The Politics of Federalism and Institution Building in the Nineteenth Century and Beyond 141 APPENDIX A: Prenational German and Italian States, 1850s-1860s 153 APPENDIX B: Origins of Federalism Data on Seventeen Largest West European Nation-States 161 Notes 167 References 201 Index 217
