Direct-Democratic Votes

Abstract

Abstract Although the instruments of direct democracy are increasingly popular in a growing number of democracies, nowhere are they more developed than in Switzerland. Indeed, direct democracy is a fundamental institution of the Swiss political system, and greatly impacts on the legislative process, party competition, and political campaigning. In the last two decades alone (2001–2021), Swiss citizens voted on 166 legislative or constitutional proposals at the federal level. This chapter first describes the use of direct-democratic instruments (compulsory referendum, optional referendum, popular initiative) over time and the evolution of the electorate’s support for the government. Second, it reviews the emerging literature on direct-democratic campaigning, shedding light on the actors involved and varying coalitions, their campaign channels, and their resources, as well as the flux and resonance of their campaign messages. Third, it turns to the individual-level and contextual-level determinants of turnout and highlights the apparent contradiction between low turnout rates at the aggregate level and widespread selective participation at the individual level. Finally, it takes stock of classic and recent studies on opinion formation and voting decisions to assess if and under what circumstances voters can make informed and correct choices. The chapter concludes on a rather optimistic note regarding the quality of direct-democratic decision-making in Switzerland and indicates avenues for future research.