The Politics of Switzerland: Continuity and Change in a Consensus Democracy

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Figures......Page 10
Tables......Page 11
Preface......Page 13
Abbreviations......Page 16
1.1 State formation......Page 19
1.2 Nation building......Page 24
1.3 Switzerland: a nation-state?......Page 28
1.4 Conclusion......Page 34
2 Neutrality......Page 35
2.1 Introduction......Page 36
2.2 The traditional meaning of neutrality......Page 37
2.3 Swiss neutrality today: orphan of its substance?......Page 41
2.4 The future of neutrality: living with the empty shell......Page 48
3.1 The gradual consolidation......Page 52
3.2 Cantonal autonomy vis-à-vis the federal level......Page 54
3.3 Federal dependency at the cantonal level......Page 56
3.4 Cooperative federalism......Page 58
3.5 Assessing Swiss federalism......Page 60
3.6 Conclusion: reforming Swiss federalism......Page 64
4.1 The institutions of direct democracy......Page 67
4.2 The logic and use of referendums and popular initiatives......Page 74
4.3 Voting in direct-democratic processes......Page 79
4.4 Conclusion......Page 84
5.2 The Federal Parliament......Page 87
5.3 The Federal Council......Page 93
5.4 The future of the Swiss system of government......Page 99
6.2 The fragmentation of the Swiss party system......Page 102
6.3 The structuring of the party system......Page 104
6.4 The parties as organizations......Page 108
6.5 The transformation of the party system......Page 111
6.6 Conclusion......Page 116
7.1 Introduction......Page 117
7.2 The structuring of the system of business
interest associations......Page 118
7.3 The structuring of the unions......Page 122
7.4 Labour relations: social partnership......Page 124
7.5 Other associations and actors......Page 128
7.6 Conclusion......Page 130
8.1 Introduction......Page 133
8.2 The pre-parliamentary phase......Page 135
8.3 The parliamentary phase......Page 137
8.4 The direct-democratic phase......Page 138
8.5 The implementation phase......Page 141
8.6 The transformation of the decision-making process:
internationalization......Page 143
8.7 The transformation of the decision-making process: the
changing national context......Page 146
8.8 Conclusion......Page 148
9.1 Introduction......Page 150
9.2 Structural reforms......Page 154
Internal liberalization......Page 155
Fiscal reform......Page 159
The labour market......Page 163
Macro-economic policy......Page 166
Investment......Page 167
9.4 Conclusion......Page 170
10.1 Introduction......Page 173
10.2 The origins of the specificities of the Swiss welfare state......Page 174
The impact of a Reformed Protestant culture......Page 175
The impact of federalism......Page 177
The impact of direct democracy......Page 179
Autodynamic processes......Page 180
Institutional factors......Page 181
10.4 Factors contributing to the structural transformation......Page 184
10.5 Conclusion......Page 186
Stage one: initial multilateral failures (1955–72)......Page 190
Stage two: stagnation (1972–86)......Page 192
Stage three: further multilateral failure (1986–92)......Page 193
Stage four: enhanced unilateral and bilateral integration (1993–2007)......Page 196
11.3 Prospects for accession......Page 201
11.4 Switzerland’s European future: customized quasi-membership......Page 204
Appendix......Page 209
References......Page 210
Index......Page 236