An Outside Perspective on Swiss Politics. How Successful is Switzerland’s Political System?

Abstract

Abstract From a comparative perspective, this concluding chapter looks at the performance and the legitimacy of the Swiss political system. It is argued that Switzerland, more than almost any other country in the world, has realized the ideal of government by the people and for the people. Nowhere else do citizens have such extensive opportunities to participate in the political decision-making process, and there are very few countries that have a similarly strong track record as Switzerland across all policy areas. The unique rights of citizens in political decision-making and the excellent performance of the political system are closely related. In conjunction with consensus democracy, they generate an extraordinarily high degree of input and output legitimacy, which is the root cause for political stability and peaceful coexistence in a multi-dimensionally fragmented society.