Il mandato plebiscitario dei leader democratici. Antecedenti americani e sviluppi recenti

The article aims at analysing different conception of presidential mandate when the process of personalisation is impacting on the contemporary democracies. It considers the prominence assumed by the American presidents during the Nineteenth century, after the advent of the so called Second Republic. And it shows how relevant analogies may be provided with European countries, particularly with Italy. Indeed, in both Old and new Continent, the rise of personal leaders is producing a different interpretation of the concept of political representation, and a consequent adaptation of the theory of democracy