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Swiss politics and political institutions: 1. Society and History

Swiss politics and political institutions: 1. Society and History. Prof. Dr. Andreas Ladner iMPA 2012. Module 1: 5 Blocks. Society and History Federalism and Municipalities Government and Parliament Direct Democracy Party system and Parties What about the citizens?.

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Swiss politics and political institutions: 1. Society and History

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  1. Swiss politics and political institutions:1. Society and History Prof. Dr. Andreas Ladner iMPA 2012

  2. Module 1: 5 Blocks • Society and History • Federalism and Municipalities • Government and Parliament • Direct Democracy • Party system and Parties • What about the citizens?

  3. What do you know about Switzerland?

  4. Political issues • What happens to the Swiss Franc? • Immigration and the Growth of the Swiss population – Free Movement of Persons Switzerland – EU/EFTA • Nuclear Power Plants • Banking secrecy – US, EU • ……

  5. The three pillars of the Swiss political system and the idea of power sharing Politics Direct Democracy Consensus Democracy Federalism Society

  6. Sources

  7. Block 1 • Society • History

  8. Population: 7.8 mio. Languages: German, French and Italian Switzerland

  9. What do people know about Switzerland? • Cheese, chocolate, watches and Nespresso? • Banks, insurances and pills? • Innovative policy solutions, political institutions and a special form of democracy?

  10. Switzerland

  11. Language 6.5 % 63.8 % 9.0 % 20.4 % 0.5 %

  12. 26 cantons and 2495 municipalities

  13. Cross-cutting Cleavages F cath. French speaking, Catholics, poor rich poor prot. G German speaking, protestants, rich cath. rich poor prot.

  14. Population increase

  15. “The biggest sorrows of the Swiss“ (Sorgenbarometer Credit Suisse 2010) Unemployment Old age pension scheme Health services Social security Foreigners Personal security EU/Bilaterales Asylum seekers New poverty ...

  16. Non-swiss residents 1900 - 2007

  17. Refugees, Asylum seekers Integration of foreigners, free movement of persons EU, bilateral agreements

  18. Global Competitiveness

  19. GDP (PPP) per capita The gross domestic product at purchasing power parity of countries per capita, shows the value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given year divided by the average (or mid-year) population for the same year. GDP dollar estimates are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations. Such calculations are prepared by various organizations, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. As estimates and assumptions have to be made, the results produced by different organizations for the same country tend to differ, sometimes substantially. PPP figures are estimates rather than hard facts, and should be used with caution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29_per_capita

  20. The Swiss state Liberal state, minimal state or welfare state?

  21. (Ratio of government expenditures to gross national product) http://www.efv.admin.ch/f/dokumentation/downloads/themen/oeff_haushalte/intv_staatsquote.pdf

  22. Ratio of government expenditures to gross national product (Economiesuisse)

  23. Economiesuisse: Finances publiques consolidées selon caractère obligatoire (dépenses)

  24. Expenditures (State levels and Social Insurances, 2009, percentages) Transfers included; total: 229 billions Swiss francs

  25. Civil servants compared

  26. Civil servants on the different state levels Ballendowitsch, Jens (2003). Sozialstruktur, soziale Sicherung und soziale Lage des öffentlichen Dienstes der Schweiz. Mannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Sozialforschung. Working papers Nr. 68.

  27. Central government expenses 2009 (58 billion) International Affairs Agriculture and Food Social Security Education and Research Defense Finances and tax Others Transport http://www.efv.admin.ch/f/dokumentation/zahlen_fakten/finanzberichterstattung.php

  28. Expenses central government (Confederation) 1960 (2.7 billions) Finances and tax Others Agriculture and Food International Affairs Defense Transport Social Security Education and Research Health Culture

  29. Income central government (Confederation) Federal Direct Tax on income and wealth Value Added Tax http://www.efv.admin.ch/f/downloads/finanzberichterstattung/bufi/R_Bufi_2009_f.pdf

  30. Content • Switzerland • History

  31. http://www.swissworld.org/en/history/

  32. The Old Swiss Confederacy (1291-1515) • Important trade route over the Gotthard • Interest and influence of Habsburg -> „Oath on Rütli“ to mutual help against anyone attempting to subject them • German king Friedrich II exempted the valleys of Uri (1231) and Schwyz (1240) from the jurisdiction of any counts and dukes so they would be subject to the king alone

  33. The ancient political system in Switzerland Source: http://history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch/swiss-revolution-helvetic-republic-1798.html

  34. Catholics 1850 und 1990 (percentages)

  35. Revolts against the Ancien Regime From 1650 to 1790, the various revolts against the rich families in the cities did not have any success: • The war of the peasants of the Emmental (subject territory of Berne) and Entlebuch (subject territory of Lucerne) against these cities in 1653 • The revolt of Wilchingen against Schaffhausen (1717 - 1729) • The revolt of Werdenberg against Glarus (1719 - 1722) • The revolt of major Abraham Davel in Lausanne (Vaud) against Berne (1723) • The revolt of the peasants of Jura against the prince-bishop of Basel (1726 - 1739) • The revolt of the Leventina (Ticino) against Uri (1755) • The revolt of Chenaux (Fribourg) against Fribourg (1781)

  36. French Revolution (1789) TheStorming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789

  37. The Helvetic Republic (1798-1803) On 5 March 1798, French troops completely overran Switzerland and the Old Swiss Confederation collapsed. On 12 April 1798 121 cantonal deputies proclaimed the Helvetic Republic, "One and Indivisible". The new régime abolished cantonal sovereignty and feudal rights. The occupying forces established a centralised state based on the ideas of the French Revolution.

  38. 1803: „Act of Mediation“ = Restoration of the old Confederation of the 13 Cantons + 6 new Cantons (SG, GR, AG, TG, VD, TI) 1814: Genève, le Valais et Neuchâtel join the Confederation 1815: Congress of Vienna -> Swiss neutrality

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