Direct Democracy: The Swiss Case

Routledge eBooks, 2017

This paper describes institutions of direct democracy between 1997 and 2003 in 26 Swiss cantons (states), specifically the statutory initiative and referendum, the constitutional initiative, and the fiscal referendum. In particular, it discusses their applications, but also the legal requirements for making use of them, including the signature requirements, the time available for their collection, and the financial thresholds. Optional and mandatory forms of these direct-legislative institutions are distinguished. This paper also provides calculations of the index and sub-indices of direct democracy for the additional years 1997 to 2003, in continuation of Stutzer (1999), using the identical methodology. Extending Trechsel and Serdült (1999) and Stutzer (1999) this paper includes the political institutions of the so-called Landsgemeinde cantons. Description of these institutions is based on the author"s reading of 26 cantonal constitutions in their versions between 1997 and 2003. JEL-codes: H11; H73; K19; H40; H72; N40; D70; I31

Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 2002

After a brief look the most important characteristics of Swiss municipalities, this paper describes the municipalities' organization according to the principles of direct democracy and means of decisionmaking. Drawing on empirical findings, it then examines size effects more closely. Whether legislative decisions are taken in a direct democratic assembly or in a representative parliament largely depends on the size of a municipality: smaller municipalities have an assembly, larger ones a parliament. By contrast, direct democratic instruments such as initiatives and referendums are not necessarily more widespread in larger municipalities. The use of initiatives and referendums is higher in larger municipalities, but assembly attendance and election turnout clearly decreases with increasing municipal size. The strength of the size effect varies considerably depending on the different variables of direct democracy under scrutiny.

Perspectives on Federalism, 2012

The Author analyses the normative framework and the use of the referendum in Italy, at regional and local level. According to the Author, this level of the analysis could even be used as a preliminary phase for studying people's 'consultation' in general. For this reason, the article contains a brief digression on the development of local referendums in Italy, before and after the beginning of the Republican regime. The article also contains a brief description of three particular types of referendum, i.e. the regional referendum, the referendum for territorial modifications and the local referendum. The conclusion reached is that local and regional referendums are midway between the principle of representative democracy and the needs for direct democracy, and can therefore be a useful means in the study of the functioning of the referendum as a whole. This makes it crucial that the authorities take into account the results of the referendums when taking decisions. It is also concluded that the scenario of different referendums in Italy at local and regional level is very heterogeneous and requires clear rules and more widespread information among the population

2007

Swiss Political Science …, 2003

2017