This article posits that the work of Gaetano Mosca and Vittorio Emmanuele Orlando constituted theoretical justifications for the political regime of their time, i.e. that of trasformismo (transformism) and of Crispi’s great reforms. All of Mosca’s analyses criticized parliamentary feelings and supported Italy’s political community. As for Orlando, he endorsed the constitutional foundation of post-unitary Italy by vehemently criticizing popular sovereignty and fervently supporting the sovereignty of the State. Taking a stance against an interpretation of Italian politics centered on the binary concept of people/King, these two world-class thinkers asserted the capital role of the State, the importance of Cabinet government and the superiority of the political community. On this account, they have had a long-lasting impact on Italian politics.