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Eraldo De Grada (1925-2012) was the founder and first leader of the Roman School of Social Psychology (see Mecacci, 1995, p. 28). His former students (Prof. Gilda Sensales, Prof. Antonio Pierro, and Prof. Marino Bonaiuto) have decided to dedicate a special issue to celebrate the centenary of his birth. The title "Dialogues on Democracy in Transition: Social-Psychological Perspectives" evokes the context where Eraldo De Grada took his first steps. In the volume entitled "Introduction to Social Psychology," De Grada wrote, "Authoritarianism can be modified only by stripping it of its functions, its valorizations, its social supports, and this can only occur through a profound transformation of the social system that encourages and nourishes it" (De Grada, 1972, p. 227). Thus, his commitment as a researcher was based on the awareness of the close interdependence between psychological, social, and cultural factors. In addition to the contributions on authoritarianism, some of the other concepts have been direct objects of Eraldo De Grada's studies (see, for example, Kruglanski, Pierro, Mannetti, De Grada, 2006), while others would certainly have challenged him to address them, including all the diverse methodological choices he favored (from mainstream to critical; De Grada, Bonaiuto, 2002). For a more thorough description of paper considered for the Special Issues, please consult the Announcement page.