The Politics and Government of Switzerland

The Politics and Government of Switzerland is one of very few English language studies of contemporary Swiss politics. Drawing on recent research in Switzerland, and the author's own observations, it offers wide coverage of Swiss political forces, processes and policies. Church argues that Switzerland is actually a vibrant and pluralist polity, in which politics are increasingly competitive. However, it still retains some distinctive characteristics like direct democracy, which mean that the Swiss people play a larger role than in other countries. Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Introduction....Pages 1-8 Front Matter....Pages 9-9 The Swiss and their History....Pages 11-22 The Socio-Economic Context....Pages 23-34 The Constitutional Framework....Pages 35-47 Front Matter....Pages 49-49 The People at Politics....Pages 51-59 Political Parties....Pages 60-70 Interest Groups....Pages 71-81 Social and Other Movements....Pages 82-91 Cantons and Communes....Pages 92-102 Parliament....Pages 103-112 The Executive....Pages 113-122 Judiciary, Police and Army....Pages 123-130 Front Matter....Pages 131-131 The Electoral Process....Pages 133-142 The Direct Democratic Process....Pages 143-153 The Federal Process....Pages 154-162 Consultation and the National Policymaking....Pages 163-171 Informal Politics....Pages 172-178 Governance and Swiss Political Style....Pages 179-186 Front Matter....Pages 187-187 Economic Policies....Pages 189-196 Social and Cultural Policies....Pages 197-204 Front Matter....Pages 187-187 Neutrality, Defence and Foreign Policy....Pages 205-214 Europe and Swiss Political Integration....Pages 215-223 Problems and Prospects....Pages 224-226 Back Matter....Pages 227-285 "The Politics and Government of Switzerland provides a wide and up-to-date vision of everyday Swiss politics, focusing on the people of Switzerland who play an unusually large role. In Switzerland, politics comes before government and those politics are more competitive and lively than myths suggest. The book is divided into four sections. The first deals with the settings and contexts of Swiss politics. The second examines the actors involved, from the people through cantons to the judiciary. The third analyses Switzerland's unusual processes of consultation, direct democracy and federalism, Finally there is a detailed consideration of internal and external policy outcomes. Together they make it possible to examine the Swiss in the context of comparative and European politics in a way rarely possible in the past."--Jacket. This study of contemporary Swiss politics draws on research in Switzerland, and the author's own observations and offers wide coverage of Swiss political forces, processes and policies