According to an article written by Matt Goodwin entitled "Think Quest", in 1861 Italy became a nation-state when the regional states of the Peninsula, Sardinia and Sicily united. These states were united under the authority of King Victor Emmanuel II in the 1920s. When Benito Mussolini established a fascist dictatorship, the era of parliamentary government ended as a new alliance was formed with Hitler's Germany. This new alliance with Nazi Germany led Benito Mussolini and Italy to defeat in World War II. After Italy's defeat in World War II, a democratic republic succeeded the old monarchy in 1946, paving the way for a new economic revival. Italy became a founding member of NATO in 1949 and a member of the European Economic Community in 1957. In 1999, after joining the Economic and Monetary Union, Italy was at the forefront of the European economic and political unification (Matt Goodwin).The Italian governmentIn 1946, Italy changed its government because Italian citizens voted in favor of a republican system of government. This type of government is led by a president rather than having a monarchical system headed by a king. By this time, Italy had also established a new constitution which now consisted of a president, prime minister, cabinet, parliament, and courts. In Italy, the president is elected for a term of seven years, by the two houses of Parliament meeting in joint session, and not by voters. The president has the ability to dismiss Parliament and call new elections. The Italian president is considered the commander and leader of the Italians and they do not have a vice president. For example, if the Italian president becomes ill and is unable to perform his duties, the Italian Senate takes over the president's duties. If, for any reason, the president dies, a presidential election is held to replace him. The Italian prime minister and his cabinet are officially called the government, not including the president. In Italy, the prime minister is chosen by the president, but the prime minister can be removed from office at any time during his or her term. The Italian Prime Minister is considered the most important person in the Italian government. The Prime Minister is the one who develops national policy for Italy. The prime minister is usually elected by someone in the cabinet. The president then appoints cabinet members, as they are approved by Parliament..