The Advantages of Republicanism

And no, I am not referring to the GOP, but rather to the system of government. Arnold Kling says "If the United States had a multi-party parliamentary system with proportional representation, our patchwork of prejudices would likely yield a government comparable to Italy's."

And here's the latest news from Italy:

President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved the Italian Parliament on Wednesday, and the cabinet scheduled national elections for April 13.

Napolitano's move followed the failure of the nation's political factions to agree on a plan to revise Italy's flawed electoral law before a new vote.

"I regret having to call Italians to the vote, without the reform of the electoral law," Napolitano told reporters in Rome.

After his announcement, the cabinet met and decided on the date for the elections.

The current electoral law, passed in 2005, gives disproportionate power to small parties in Parliament, critics say, making stable government nearly impossible.