the Swiss system
These two articles prove that the Swiss not only know how to make good
cheese, but also know how to cut it democratically... :)
Commonwealth: The Other Road to Democracy--The Swiss Model of
Democratic Self-Government
Edited by Daniel J. Elazar
The late Daniel J. Elazar was increasingly concerned with the
distortions of democracy in contemporary society. In Commonwealth, he
brought together a distinguished group of political scientists to
examine the Swiss model of democracy, in its original emphasis on
community, or the "commonwealth."
Contributors to the volume take the Swiss model as a base from which
to critique the liberal model, best exemplified by the United States.
While it is admittedly the best contemporary example of liberal
democracy, or "civil society," America also displays the problems of
this model. The modern idea of communal democracy has almost
completely disappeared from the United States, contributors argue. In
incisive and cogent essays, they suggest that the modern idea of
communal democracy may not just be an alternative but a needed
antidote to many of the problems with the American system. The
scholars gathered in this important collection explore the question of
how to maintain both community and liberty while at the same time
adjusting to changes in the scale of political organization needed for
economic prosperity and defense. The results yield a unique
perspective on contemporary democracy for political theorists and
concerned lay readers alike.
THE SWISS CANTONAL SYSTEM
A Model Democracy
by Frances Kendall
In this, the first of the "ISIL Solutions" series, we examine the
"Swiss model" of government -- a highly-decentralized system which
Swiss economist Robert Nef more accurately describes as an "ongoing
experiment" than a "model."
The concepts of devolution of power, local autonomy, and participatory
democracy have produced the world's most peaceful and prosperous
country. Of course, Switzerland, with its compulsory military service,
state controlled monetary system, railroad and telephone services, and
taxation, is not a pure libertarian society -- but for those
interested in reining in out-of-control governments in other parts of
the world, there are large parts of the Swiss cantonal system that are
worthy of emulation.
The word "democracy" is derived from the Greek words for people
(demos) and power (kratos). Inherent in the concept is the idea that
ordinary people should keep control of the decisions that effect their
lives. In an ideal democracy, the power of those who govern is limited
by safeguards that ensure that citizens can prevent their elected
leaders from abusing their powers.
SWITZERLAND
Switzerland is considered by many to be the most democratic country in
the world. It is also one of the world's most successful nations in
economic terms. The Swiss people have the highest per-capita incomes
in the world, and Switzerland is consistently rated among the top ten
nations in terms of quality of life.
The key to Swiss success is not to be found in natural resources
(which are in extremely short supply); nor does it lie in the
temperament of its 6.4 million people, who are essentially no
different from the Germans, Italians and French in the remainder of
Europe. It lies rather in Switzerland's political institutions, which
ensure that ordinary citizens are involved in political
decision-making, and that no one interest group is able to benefit
unduly at the expense of another.
A THREE-TIER FEDERATION
Switzerland is small -- about one quarter the size of the US State of
Ohio -- and it is divided into 26 areas called cantons. The cantons
are comprised of approximately 3000 communes. A central or federal
government links the cantons into one unified country, but this
central government controls only those affairs which are of interest
to all the cantons. These matters of common interest include foreign
policy, national defense, federal railways and the mint. All other
issues -- education, labor, economic and welfare policies and so on --
are determined by the governments of the cantons and communes. Each
canton has its own parliament and constitution and they differ
substantially from one another. The communes, which vary in size from
a few hundred to more than a million people, also have their own
legislative and executive councils. The cantonal and communal
governments are elected by the citizens resident in their areas of
jurisdiction.
ADVANTAGES OF DECENTRALIZATION
Embraces Diversity. One important reason for this de-centralization of
power in Switzerland is that, unlike most European countries,
Switzerland is made up of several different major ethnic groups --
Germans, French, Italians, and Rhaeto-Romansch. Over the centuries,
whenever conflicts have arisen between these language groups, and
between Catholics and Protestants, the Swiss have resolved the
conflict by allowing each of the warring groups to govern themselves.
Thus single cantons have divided into half-cantons, new cantons have
been formed and border communes have opted to leave one canton to join
another. In this way the Swiss have developed a system which permits
people of different languages, cultures, religions and traditions to
live together in peace and harmony. This makes the Swiss system
particularly well suited to ethnically-divided countries.
Maximizes Competition Among Policies. Because so many decisions are
made at the local level, the Swiss are closely involved with the laws
and regulations which affect their lives -- and because each canton is
different, they are also able to see for themselves which policies
work best. For example, one canton might have high taxes and expensive
welfare programs, while another might opt for low taxes and private
charity. Each Swiss citizen can then decide which policy suits him
best and "vote with his feet" by moving to the canton which he finds
the most attractive. The result is that good policies tend to drive
out bad.
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full text
Swiss model for the Middle East?
HOMEPAGE
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