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Selected bibliography at end of each chapter. "Critical bibliography": p.386-416. ; Mode of access: Internet.

"Critical bibliography": p. 386-416. ; Selected bibliography at end of each chapter. ; Mode of access: Internet.

Includes index. ; Selected bibliography at end of each chapter. "Critical bibliography": p. 386-416. ; Mode of access: Internet.

The Politics and Government of Switzerland is one of very few English language studies of contemporary Swiss politics. Drawing on recent research in Switzerland, and the author's own observations, it offers wide coverage of Swiss political forces, processes and policies. Church argues that Switzerland is actually a vibrant and pluralist polity, in which politics are increasingly competitive. However, it still retains some distinctive characteristics like direct democracy, which mean that the Swiss people play a larger role than in other countries

Part of the project Why Centralization and Decentralization in Federations?, this article studies dynamic de/centralization in Switzerland since 1848 and seeks to account for the patterns observed. It shows that, overall, there has been a wide-ranging process of legislative centralization, whereas the cantons have retained considerable administrative and, especially, fiscal autonomy. The principal instrument of dynamic centralization has been constitutional change, followed by the enactment of framework legislation by the federal government. The process has unfolded primarily through frequent steps of a small magnitude and occurred throughout the 160-year life of the federation. Modernization, market integration, changing patterns of collective identification, and expectations concerning the role of government appear to have played a particularly important causal role. The multilingual and bi-confessional nature of the country has not presented a major obstacle to this centralization dynamic, particularly since World War II, with the French-speaking minority becoming increasingly pro-centralization.

By focusing on the belated introduction of female suffrage in Switzerland, this article looks at how the political exclusion of half of the Swiss population was normalised. It argues that, notwithstanding its singularity, the Swiss case highlights some of the main mechanisms, practices and legitimisation strategies used to withhold political rights from women in modern society. The long time span between the introduction of male suffrage in 1848 and the introduction of female suffrage in 1971 raises the question of how such an exclusion could be maintained, particularly in the face of the tendency towards democratisation in the post–1945 world. Pursuing a loose chronological narrative, the author discusses the explanatory arguments of six types of socio-historical approaches to the question. Together, they provide evidence of what was at stake for the official gender scripts in the debates about a reconfiguration of the conception and practice of democracy. ; By focusing on the belated introduction of female suffrage in Switzerland, this article looks at how the political exclusion of half of the Swiss population was normalised. It argues that, notwithstanding its singularity, the Swiss case highlights some of the main mechanisms, practices and legitimisation strategies used to withhold political rights from women in modern society. The long time span between the introduction of male suffrage in 1848 and the introduction of female suffrage in 1971 raises the question of how such an exclusion could be maintained, particularly in the face of the tendency towards democratisation in the post–1945 world. Pursuing a loose chronological narrative, the author discusses the explanatory arguments of six types of socio-historical approaches to the question. Together, they provide evidence of what was at stake for the official gender scripts in the debates about a reconfiguration of the conception and practice of democracy.