Recent developments in Swiss direct democracy

Abstract

This paper identifies and explains a number of significant developments in the use of referendums in Switzerland. In doing so, it illustrates how the device has evolved in response to a changing political environment and how the Swiss polity has in turn been shaped by the institution of direct democracy. Initially, trends in voting outcomes and participation levels are explored. The paper then addresses a serious problem which has emerged with low turnout in recent decades—the exploitation of apathy and the attendant potential for false majorities. The increasing popularity of the initiative as a political weapon is assessed, as is the behaviour of groups employing the device. Finally, the impact of direct democracy upon representative institutions is analysed, with emphasis on the role of referendums in the shifting context of Swiss consociational democracy.