Abstract
Switzerland and Denmark are both old democracies. Switzerland obtains the maximum score (10) on the Polity IV democracy-index from 1848 onwards – notwithstanding that Swiss women were not fully enfranchised at the federal level prior to 1971 and that the last canton to enfranchise them at the cantonal level (Appenzell-Innerrhoden) did so only in 1990. Denmark, which got its first democratic constitution in 1849, obtains its first “10” on the Polity IV democracy-index for the year of 1915, the year Danish women became enfranchised.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
The Danish counties were abolished in 2007 and replaced by five regions. The regions have no tax authority whatsoever and deal primarily with hospitals. In any case it could be argued that the relevant decentralized level to base the ranking of Denmark on should have been the municipalities.
- 2.
These numbers show the index value for the exploitation of the fiscal potential in the canton (Steuerausschöpfungsindex). The data reflects the situation in 2006–08. Source: Swiss Statistical Office (BFS), http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/18/02/blank/key/steuerbelastung_kantone.html, updated October 14th, 2011). The measure disregards consumer taxes which are defined at the federal level.
- 3.
In the period from 1987 to 2010 167 out of 2,514 parliamentary proposals have been decided at the polls. Source: www.admin.ch/ch/d/pore
- 4.
In the period from 1874 to 1970 the parliament decided on about 200 proposals per decade that formally could have been subjected to a facultative referendum. In the 1970s and 1980s the number rose to 250. Between 1991 and 2000 the number was 459 and between 2001 and 2010 already 538 proposals could have been possibly challenged by a facultative referendum. Source: www.admin.ch/ch/d/pore
References
Armingeon K (2011) A prematurely announced death? Swiss corporatism in comparative perspective. In: Trampusch C, Mach A (eds) Switzerland in Europe. Continuity and change in the Swiss political economy. Routledge, London, pp 165–185
Armingeon K, Gerber M, Leimgruber P, Beyeler M (2011) Comparative political data set 1960–2009. Institute of Political Science, University of Berne
Brennan G, Buchanan JM (1980) The power to tax: analytical foundations of a fiscal constitution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Bühlmann M, Merkel W, Müller L, Giebler H, Wessels B (2011) Democracy barometer. Methodology. Zentrum für Demokratie, Aarau. www.democracybarometer.org
Bühlmann M, Merkel W, Müller L, Wessels B (2012) The democracy barometer: a new instrument to measure the quality of democracy and its potential for comparative research. Eur Polit Sci 11:519–536
Christmann A (2010) Damoklesschwert Referendum? Die indirekte Wirkung ausgebauter Volksrechte auf die Rechte religiöser Minderheiten. Swiss Polit Sci Rev 16(1):1–41
Esping-Andersen G (1990) Three worlds of welfare capitalism. Polity, London
ESS (2008) European Social Survey Round 4 data. Data file edition 4.0. Norwegian Social Science Data Services, Norway – Data Archive and distributor of ESS data
Freitag M, Vatter A (2008) Decentralization and fiscal discipline in sub-national governments: evidence from the Swiss federal system. Publius 38:272–294
Frey BS, Goette L (1998) Does the popular vote destroy civil rights? Am J Polit Sci 42:1343–1348
Feld LP, Kirchgässner G, Savioz MR (1999) Die direkte Demokratie. Modern, erfolgreich, entwicklungs- und exportfähig. Verlag Franz Vahlen, München
Feld LP, Kirchgässner G, Schaltegger CA (2004) Fiscal federalism and economic performance: evidence from Swiss cantons. Marburger volkswirtschaftliche Beiträge, No. 2004, 20
Gaillard S, Oesch D (2002) What explains the differences in the tax burden between swiss cantons? Swiss Polit Sci Review 8(2):81–99
Katzenstein PJ (1985) Small states in world markets. Industrial policy in Europe. Cornell University Press, Ithaca/London
Kriesi H (2005) Direct democratic choice: the Swiss experience. Lexington, Lanham
Kriesi H (2006) The role of the political elite in Swiss direct-democratic votes. Party Polit 12(5):599–622
Kriesi H, Trechsel AH (2008) Switzerland. Continuity and change in a consensus democracy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Kriesi H, Wisler D (1996) Social movements and direct democracy in Switzerland. Eur J Polit Res 30:725–759
Lijphart A (1984) Democracies. Patterns of majoritarian and consensus government in twenty-one countries. Yale University Press, New Haven/London
Lijphart A (1999) Patterns of democracy. Government forms and performance in thirty-six countries. Yale University Press, New Haven/London
Linder W (2005) Schweizerische Demokratie. Insitutionen – Prozesse – Perspektiven, 2nd edn. Haupt, Bern/Stuttgart/Wien
Linder W (2009) Das politische System der Schweiz. In: Ismayr W (ed) Die Politischen Systeme Westeuropas, 4th edn. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden, pp 567–606
Nannestad P (2009) Das politische System Dänemarks. In: Ismayr W (ed) Die Politischen Systeme Westeuropas, 4th edn. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden, pp 65–106
Neidhart L (1970) Plebiszit und pluralitäre Demokratie: Eine Analyse der Funktion des schweizerischen Gesetztesreferendums. Francke, Bern
Nørgaard AS (2000) Party politics and the organization of the Danish welfare state, 1890–1920: the bourgeois roots of the modern welfare state. Scand Polit Stud 23(3):183–215
Obinger H, Leibfried S, Castles FG (eds) (2005) Federalism and the welfare state: new world and European experiences. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Rodrik D (2007) One economics, many recipes. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Schaltegger C (2001) Ist der Schweizer Föderalismus zu kleinräumig? Swiss Polit Sci Rev 7(1):1–18
Sorens J (2011) The institutions of fiscal federalism. Publius 41(2):207–231
Tsebelis G (2002) Veto players. Russell Sage, New York
Vatter A (2007) Federalism. In: Klöti U, Knoepfel P, Kriesi H, Linder W, Papadopoulos Y, Sciarini P (eds) Handbook of Swiss politic (2nd, completely revised edition). Neue Zürcher Zeitung Publishing, Zürich, pp 77–99
Vatter A (ed) (2011) Vom Schächt- zum Minarettverbot. Religiöse Minderheiten in der direkten Demokratie. Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zürich
Vatter A, Danaci D (2010) Mehrheitstyrannei durch Volksentscheide? Zum Spannungsverhältnis zwischen direkter Demokratie und Minderheitenschutz. Politische Vierteljahreschrift 51(2):122–140
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Christoffersen, H., Beyeler, M., Eichenberger, R., Nannestad, P., Paldam, M. (2014). Political Institutions and Politics. In: The Good Society. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37238-4_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37238-4_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-37237-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-37238-4
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsEconomics and Finance (R0)