The new issue of the Italian Journal of Electoral Studies brings together six original contributions that reflect the substantive and methodological pluralism of contemporary political science. While the articles address distinct research questions and empirical domains, three of them form a focused and explicitly dialogical debate on the condition, legitimacy, and transformation of political parties in contemporary democracies.

The issue opens with three stand-alone empirical contributions addressing key dimensions of contemporary democratic politics. First, Zucaro examines how issue congruence between citizens and parties shapes satisfaction with democracy across different policy domains and national contexts. Next, Prearo and Trastulli introduce an original post-electoral survey of Italian LGBTIQ+ citizens, offering novel empirical insights into their political attitudes, participation, and voting behavior. Lastly, Bentivegna and Rega analyze citizens’ perceptions of political incivility in Italy, highlighting the role of democratic trust, political efficacy, and media consumption in shaping sensitivity to uncivil political behavior.

The critical debate begins with Piero Ignazi’s reflection on the enduring disaffection toward parties, interpreted through the lens of nostalgia for the mass-party model and the tension between popular and electoral democracy. This argument is subsequently taken up and critically developed by Francesco Raniolo, who conceptualizes party legitimacy as an inherently ambivalent and conflictual process rooted in enduring partisan dilemmas. Martin J. Bull completes the exchange by questioning the empirical foundations and analytical implications of the nostalgia thesis, thereby sharpening the contours of an ongoing debate on party crisis, resilience, and transformation.

Together, these articles broaden the issue’s scope and underscore the diversity of approaches and research agendas in current electoral and political research. Enjoy your scientific reading!