This open access book provides an updated and fully revised 4th edition of this authoritative
analysis of Swiss democracy. It particularly explains the institutions of federalism and …

Federalism and regionalism are on the rise. Three major developments have sparked a
growing interest in federal and regional arrangements. First, the dominant economic …

This article outlines the effects of direct democracy on the Swiss political system. It deals with
referendums initiated by petition 'from below'and with their indirect impact on politics and …

The formulation of policies lies at the heart of any political system and is the crucial task
assigned to decision makers. Analysing problems, identifying possible solutions, bargaining …

Direct democratic institutions, while centrepieces of the Swiss political system, find
themselves under attack. In this article, we challenge the widespread criticism that popular …

Direct-democratic campaigns take place in an institutional and issue-specific context.
Political institutions define the rules of the game of the direct-democratic process, and as …

La collection «Terrains des sciences sociales» publie des travaux empiriques. Elle pri
vilégie l'innovation dans les objets, les concepts et les méthodes. Son originalité consiste à …

This study investigates the connection between legislative and electoral politics in
Switzerland. The authors postulate that party unity is higher in an election year, and more …

In many countries, be it in America (Trump), in Europe (Le Pen), or in Asia (Duterte), radical
right populist leaders or parties succeed in gaining power. To what extent would they be …

Deliberative democracy theorists have long dismissed direct democratic mechanisms,
suspecting them of fundamentally contradicting the deliberative ideal. One reason for this …