During the First Republic (1948-1992) Italian political parties were weak institutions organized into factions. As a consequence, the Italian Parliament enhanced the collusion of interests and clientelism. Individual members of the Parliament had an unmatched level of autonomy compared to memebrs of other national Parliaments. This autonomy increased the distance between the Parliament and civil society, insulating the latter from the control of the former.

This project looks at the support that private bills received in the floor of the Parliament. The temporary majorities that these bills received capture the working social structure of the Parliament. Formal ideological differences are expected to play only a small role in organizing the support of a bill.

Data collection is currently underway.

Uncertainty is an integral part of life. Today, just as centuries ago, individuals do not have control over diseases and natural disasters. Technological developments have made possible what was previously impossible and science has provided a guide for understanding the world. Yet, uncertainty still persists in what we do not know about nature and in random occurrences that punctuate life. Individuals have elaborated rituals and have constructed cultural products to cope with uncertainty. One of these products is the horoscope.

Already acquired data came mainly from horoscopes of the XVI and XVII century stored in the Vatican Library. Other horoscopes relevant for this project are in the Italian National Library and in Butler Library at Columbia University.