DOCSLIB.ORG

Prepaid Subscription Rates

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Prepaid Subscription Rates Prepaid subscription rates Objekttyp: Group Zeitschrift: The Swiss observer : the journal of the Federation of Swiss Societies in the UK Band (Jahr): - (1923) Heft 131 PDF erstellt am: 28.09.2021 Nutzungsbedingungen Die ETH-Bibliothek ist Anbieterin der digitalisierten Zeitschriften. Sie besitzt keine Urheberrechte an den Inhalten der Zeitschriften. Die Rechte liegen in der Regel bei den Herausgebern. Die auf der Plattform e-periodica veröffentlichten Dokumente stehen für nicht-kommerzielle Zwecke in Lehre und Forschung sowie für die private Nutzung frei zur Verfügung. Einzelne Dateien oder Ausdrucke aus diesem Angebot können zusammen mit diesen Nutzungsbedingungen und den korrekten Herkunftsbezeichnungen weitergegeben werden. Das Veröffentlichen von Bildern in Print- und Online-Publikationen ist nur mit vorheriger Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber erlaubt. Die systematische Speicherung von Teilen des elektronischen Angebots auf anderen Servern bedarf ebenfalls des schriftlichen Einverständnisses der Rechteinhaber. Haftungsausschluss Alle Angaben erfolgen ohne Gewähr für Vollständigkeit oder Richtigkeit. Es wird keine Haftung übernommen für Schäden durch die Verwendung von Informationen aus diesem Online-Angebot oder durch das Fehlen von Informationen. Dies gilt auch für Inhalte Dritter, die über dieses Angebot zugänglich sind. Ein Dienst der ETH-Bibliothek ETH Zürich, Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zürich, Schweiz, www.library.ethz.ch http://www.e-periodica.ch Cbe Swiss Obseiw Telephone : City 4603. PwMis/ied ta-erz/ Friday ai 21, Garlick Hill, London, E.C. 4. Telegrams : Fkeprinoo, London. No. 131 LONDON. DECEMBER 8, 1923. Peice 3d. PREPAID SUBSCRIPTION RATES La construction du tronçon suisse Pontebrolla- sociales: alcoolisme (Secrétariat antialcoolique suisse, 3 (13 3 6 Camedo a coûté six millions de le canton Croix bleue, Bons etc.), tuberculose, UNITED KINGDOM Months (13 issues,issu< post free) - francs; Templiers, 1 H -, <2-i - 6/6 du Tessin a contribué à maladies d'autres s'occu- AND COLONIES 12 12 cette dépense pour 850,000 vénériennes, cancer, goitre, (52 „ - 50 francs, investis en actions de deuxième degré. T.es pent des infirmes: épileptiques, aveugles, SWITZERLAND 6 Months (2ß issues, post free) - Frs. 7 anormaux, 12 (52 - „ 14.— communes ont donné 70,000 fr. et la Confédération sourds, etc.: d'autres, d'hygiène: Z« Sor/azT «//Tre su6scripfions may 6e paie/ info Posfac/tecAt-/Confo .• a accordé 380,000 fr., prélevés sur les fonds des- z/Vzyg/ézze, Ze LVzr/eZ zw/za«<7 z/Vz ygzazze sof/a/e e/ ßo,/e V 57/S7. tinés à combattre le chômage. Tout le reste a) été 7/zozYzZe; d'autres enfin s'attaquent aux maux d'ordre fourni par des capitalistes français, inspirés, dit-on, moral: 7/z/z'ozz szFwe rZc «zozv/ZZZa yzzAZZyz/c, Mworzä- //OA/£ || par M. Loucheur. Zzozz ^ozzr Zç FeZèz'ezzzezzZ »zozyzZ, etc. Ce tronçon appartient à la A'orzVZà Fwot 7e AV- Enfin, pour compléter cette brève revue, men- gz'cwaZz 77«7z>eM, à laquelle appartiennent aussi les donnons les écoles d'études sociales de Zurich, Fri- The Federal Parliament commenced its winter tramways de la ville de Locarno et le chemin de bourg, Genève qui préparent les femmes aux car- session last Monday, Dec. 3rd. the National In fer du Val Maggia. rières sociales pour lesquelles elles sont naturelle- Council, Evéquoz (Cath., Valais) was appointed Le tronçon italien (Camedo-Domodossola) de la ment destinées. Simon elected to this president: (Lib., Vaud) was Centovallina appartient à la Sor/V7è SzzAzz/^zVzrz /Z7wz- On peut dire que dans leur ensemble, nos oeuvres office in States the Council. /e/roriwe, financée elle aussi des capi- sociales tendent à devenir soit à faire * * * /rp.w par préventives, talistes français, à laquelle le gouvernement italien la prévoyance avant l'assistance. Elles ne the general tendency in Switzerland, passer Following a accordé une subvention kilométrique annuelle de font à et the Grand Council of Vaud is to be reduced from qu'obéir l'expérience qui prouve toujours 40,000 lires pour une période de 50 ans, après la- partout supprimer les effets, faut 237 to 167 members, subject to this decision being que pour il sup- quelle la ligne deviendra propriété de l'Etat. primer les causes. Mais cela, il faut le con- ratified by the voters. The present representation pour Outre les difficultés financières, il avait les cours de toute la population qui entretient sans le of one councillor to 300 electors will be superseded y difficultés techniques. De Locarno (200 m. au- savoir les causes des maux sociaux. Les grandes by a new basis of one to .000. r _ * * * dessus de la .mer), la ligne monte à Santa Maria organisations nationales en sont ainsi arrivées à An international arbitral tribunal, with Federal Maggiore (826 m.); elle gravit fréquemment des poursuivre chacune dans son domaine l'éducation du de 60 et très Tâche difficile et de haleine Judge Robert Fazy as president, is at present sitting pentes pour mille traverse une région, public. longue qui clans de de de in Lausanne to adjudicate a dispute between the accidentée, laquelle débouchent nombreux requiert beaucoup talent, d'ingéniosité et vallons latéraux là le de town of Belgrade and a Belgian company, holding (de nom Cento-Valli persévérance. the concession for the tramways and lighting of Les contreforts des montagnes sont échelonnés Cette tâche est généralement assumée par des that town. comme les coulisses d'une scène prolongée. secrétariats toujours plus nombreux et cela n'est * * * L'homme qui, par sa ferme volonté, son inépui- pas une des caractéristiques les moins intéressantes An official auctioneer in Zurich, Jacob Gibel, sable patience et son savoir-faire, a su surmonter de notre époque que cette apparition de travailleurs has been sentenced to one year's hard labour, in tous les obstacles, est M. Francesco Ballt, ancien sociaux, spécialistes rémunérés qui consacrent leur addition to a fine and the loss of civic rights, for syndic de Locarno, ancien député au Conseil des vie à l'une ou l'autre de ces causes d'intérêt public. understating in his returns the amounts realized at Etats. En 1898 déjà il demandait aux autorités La guerre a augmenté les besoins et rendu évi- sales conducted by him, and appropriating to his fédérales la concession du Régional du Val Maggia dente la nécessité de développer les oeuvres sociales own use the difference, said to be about Frs. 7,000. et de la Centovallina; le premier était ouvert au en général, abstraction faite des oeuvres temporaires. * * * trafic le 2 septembre 1907, et: aujourd'hui, après 25 Dr. Franz Schmid, the President of the Federal ans d'un travail aussi tenace -qu'intelligent et dés- Tribunal in Lausanne, died last Friday (Nov. 30th) intéressé, le chemin cle fer Locarno-Domodossola at the age of 82, after a short illness. Born, in l'est à son tour. Rome, and a citizen of Altdorf, he was, in his early Les Locarnais vénèrent en ce robuste vieillard days, prominent in the political life of his canton, de 75 ans leur premier citoyen et leur bienfaiteur. which he represented, first in the States Council Les concitoyens tessinois et confédérés s'unissent and then in the National Council: his career with à eux pour lui exprimer leur sincère admiration. the Federal Tribunal dates from 1891. Before (/ozzzvzr/Z cZe GFzzèi'e.) taking up his legal studies he was for some time FACTS: Ce des médecins Valais. Les lieutenant of the papal guards. In Lausanne he qu'on exige en — /ncorporafed in .Suiiizer/anc/ was well known and could hardly escape notice autorités valaisannes, statuant sur l'article 20 de /8/Ç la loi sur la police sanitaire, ont: décidé qu'un from strangers, being much attached to old customs 1. One of ten is médecin d'un est de out persons accidentally and continuing to wear ear-rings—a characteristic appelé auprès malade, tenu injured every year. of his native canton. s'y rendre en tout temps sauf en cas d'empêchc- Cette décision d'une très 2. On the average 50°/" of all accidents ment majeur. est grosse outside of one's SWISS PAPERS. et entraînera les valaisans happen profession. EXTRACTS FROM importance pour médecin? For men whose duties confine them ries difficultés qu'on devine sans peine quand on La iLe chemin de fer à largely to the office, this ratio rises to Centovallina. — régional songe à la configuration accidentée de ce canton over 80%. voie étroite et à traction électrique Locarno-Domo- <7e alpestre. (L'F.r^rejv ATz/f/WcZ.) 3. dossola, inauguré' le 25 novembre, est très intéressant One.fourth of all accidents happen à de C'est le soit Lss oeuvres sociales en Suisse. —Elles sont fort where men consider themselves safest plusieurs points vue. premier qui —at home. ouvert à la circulation depuis la Long de nombreuses. Le répertoire de Wild (1.919) eu men- guerre. 4. 1923 the 51 km., dont 18 seulement sur territoire suisse, il tionne près de 6000 et il ne prétend pas être com- Up to "ZURICH" has paid, under Personal Accident Policies : constitue la voie la plus courte et la plus rapide plot. T.a plupart de ces oeuvres sont locales; elles entre les deux grands réseaux suisses du Gothard naissent d'un besoin immédiat, concret, visible. 1, 571 Death cases. à Souvent elles s'étendent: à la au canton. et du Simplon, au sud des Alpes. S'il était région ou 6,300 cases of Permanent Disability. écartement normal, il serait aussi le parcours le Quelques-unes embrassent tout le territoire de la plus court et le moins coûteux pour le transport des Confédération. Parfois le mouvement se fait en 224,150 oases of Temporary Disability. marchandises de la Suisse occidentale et de la sens inverse: il se forme une association suisse qui 5.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 17-10155 Visions Du Reelch Papier De Ville Papier En-Tete POUR WORD Copie
    PRESS RELEASE 13 April 2018, Nyon (Switzerland) EMBARGO 19:30 49th EDITION OF VISIONS DU RÉEL, 13–21 APRIL 2018 FULL HOUSE AND EXPLORING NEW TERRITORIES FOR THE OFFICIAL CEREMONY Simonetta Sommaruga, Federal Councillor, and Cesla Amarelle, Member of the Cantonal Council of Vaud, opened the 49th edition of Visions du Réel, International Film Festival Nyon, this Friday 13 April to a packed house at the Théâtre de Marens. “The courage of documentary filmmakers is to give a voice to those who don’t have one, by addressing highly complex subjects,” declared Simonetta Sommaruga solemnly. “One of the strengths of documentary film is that it involves us, without making a simple judgement, opposing heroes and villains,” she added. Moreover, the Federal Councillor praised a festival “which hones and expands our perspective.” Expanding one’s perspective and opening up to the world is precisely the vocation of this 2018 edition. When officially kicking off the festivities in the company of the new Artistic Director Emilie Bujès, the Executive President of Visions du Réel, Claude Ruey, enthused “Once again, the world is coming to Nyon, where Visions du Réel has every intention of continuing its role as an explorer and trailblazer.” A sold-out Opening Ceremony On Friday evening, the Théâtre de Marens welcomed prestigious guests to launch the 49th edition of Visions du Réel. Simonetta Sommaruga, Federal Councillor, Cesla Amarelle, Member of the Cantonal Council of Vaud, and Fabienne Freymond Cantone, Member of the Municipal Council of the City of Nyon praised the event. “Visions du Réel is first and foremost an encounter with our society, with our world.
    [Show full text]
  • Local and Regional Democracy in Switzerland
    33 SESSION Report CG33(2017)14final 20 October 2017 Local and regional democracy in Switzerland Monitoring Committee Rapporteurs:1 Marc COOLS, Belgium (L, ILDG) Dorin CHIRTOACA, Republic of Moldova (R, EPP/CCE) Recommendation 407 (2017) .................................................................................................................2 Explanatory memorandum .....................................................................................................................5 Summary This particularly positive report is based on the second monitoring visit to Switzerland since the country ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 2005. It shows that municipal self- government is particularly deeply rooted in Switzerland. All municipalities possess a wide range of powers and responsibilities and substantial rights of self-government. The financial situation of Swiss municipalities appears generally healthy, with a relatively low debt ratio. Direct-democracy procedures are highly developed at all levels of governance. Furthermore, the rapporteurs very much welcome the Swiss parliament’s decision to authorise the ratification of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority. The report draws attention to the need for improved direct involvement of municipalities, especially the large cities, in decision-making procedures and with regard to the question of the sustainability of resources in connection with the needs of municipalities to enable them to discharge their growing responsibilities. Finally, it highlights the importance of determining, through legislation, a framework and arrangements regarding financing for the city of Bern, taking due account of its specific situation. The Congress encourages the authorities to guarantee that the administrative bodies belonging to intermunicipal structures are made up of a minimum percentage of directly elected representatives so as to safeguard their democratic nature.
    [Show full text]
  • PNUD, Un Projet D’Appui À La Le Renforcement De La Participation Participation Effective Et Durable Des Politique De La Femme
    PREAMBLE he organization in Algiers of participation of women in elected the International Conference assemblies to strengthen their capacities on Advancing the Political in the management and governance T Participation of Women of local communities. This project is provides an excellent forum for strategic for Algeria because, beyond the highlighting the significant progress figures, the public authorities affirm their made in this area in Algeria. desire to give consistency and inject quality into the representation of women The introduction of a bold constitutional in elected bodies. reform in March 2016, in which the State undertakes the promotion women’s rights «by increasing their chances During the 2 days of this conference, of having access to representation in a panel of Algerian and international elected assemblies» (art.35), reinforced experts have been mobilized to debate, this representation, paving the way for through three axes : greater involvement of Algerian women 1 - The national and international legal in political decision-making spheres, at framework ; national and local level. 2 - Participation of women as actors of It is in this context that the Ministry sustainable development; of the Interior, Local Government and Territorial Planning has implemented, 3 - The role of governmental actors and in collaboration with UNDP, a project partners in strengthening the political to support the effective and sustainable participation of women. 17 ET 18 MARS, PALAIS DES NATIONS, ALGER. 1 BIOGRAPHY Nicole Ameline was born on July 4th, 1952 in Saint-Vaast- en-Auge (Calvados). Holder of a doctorate in law, she has developed a long career as a French politician. After administrative positions in Honfleur then at the general council of Calvados, she entered politics by being substitute of Michel d’Ornano at the National Assembly in 1988, and she became a member of parliament in 1991.
    [Show full text]
  • KAS Auslandsinformationen 03/2012
    3|2012 KAS INTERNATIONAL REPORTS 53 creaky concordance system Parliamentary and Governmental elections in switzerland: divided conservatives defeated by consensus-oriented centre-riGht Parties Burkard Steppacher Elections in Switzerland have become quite exciting in recent years. The cooperation between the traditional ruling parties, which have been in power in a grand coali- tion since the end of the 1950s, has clearly been thrown into crisis,1 new parties have entered parliament and the political concordance that has existed for decades has started to creak and shift. However, it appears that these changes have not yet found a permanent footing.2 Prof. Dr. Burkard Steppacher is a staff member of the Every four years there are federal elections to select a new Konrad-Adenauer- parliament in Switzerland, a country with one of the most Stiftung Scholarship constitutionally stable political systems, both in Europe Programme and Honorary Professor 3 and the world. The larger chamber (National Council) has of Political Science 200 members and the smaller chamber (Council of States) at the University of has 46 members, with two members per canton, although Cologne. six so-called “half cantons” only have one member each. Once the members of both parliamentary chambers have been chosen, the chambers, which together make up the Federal Assembly, then elect the country’s seven-member federal government (Federal Council). The elections were watched with great interest in 2011, as there was the real possibility of a change to the federal government. 1 | Cf. Burkard Steppacher, “Die Krise der Konkordanz‟, Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik, 2/2008, 19-22; Michael Hartmann, Konkordanz in der Krise.
    [Show full text]
  • Switzerland – a Model for Solving Nationality Conflicts?
    PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE FRANKFURT Bruno Schoch Switzerland – A Model for Solving Nationality Conflicts? Translation: Margaret Clarke PRIF-Report No. 54/2000 © Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) Summary Since the disintegration of the socialist camp and the Soviet Union, which triggered a new wave of state reorganization, nationalist mobilization, and minority conflict in Europe, possible alternatives to the homogeneous nation-state have once again become a major focus of attention for politicians and political scientists. Unquestionably, there are other instances of the successful "civilization" of linguistic strife and nationality conflicts; but the Swiss Confederation is rightly seen as an outstanding example of the successful politi- cal integration of differing ethnic affinities. In his oft-quoted address of 1882, "Qu’est-ce qu’une nation?", Ernest Renan had already cited the confederation as political proof that the nationality principle was far from being the quasi-natural primal ground of the modern nation, as a growing number of his contemporaries in Europe were beginning to believe: "Language", said Renan, "is an invitation to union, not a compulsion to it. Switzerland... which came into being by the consent of its different parts, has three or four languages. There is in man something that ranks above language, and that is will." Whether modern Switzerland is described as a multilingual "nation by will" or a multi- cultural polity, the fact is that suggestions about using the Swiss "model" to settle violent nationality-conflicts have been a recurrent phenomenon since 1848 – most recently, for example, in the proposals for bringing peace to Cyprus and Bosnia. However, remedies such as this are flawed by their erroneous belief that the confederate cantons are ethnic entities.
    [Show full text]
  • Swiss Political System Introduction
    SWIss POLITICAL SYSTEM INTRODUCTION Switzerland is a small country in Western roots date back to 1291, whereas the Europe with 7.8 million inhabitants. With modern nation state was founded in 1848. its 41,285 square kilometres, Switzerland Switzerland’s population is 1.5 % of Europe; accounts for only 0.15 % of the world’s total however, the country is economically com- surface area. It borders Germany in the paratively strong. north, Austria and Liechtenstein in the east, Italy in the south and France in the west. The population is diverse by language as well as by religious affiliation. Its historical FEDERAL SYSTEM Switzerland is a federation; the territory is divided into 26 cantons. The cantons themselves are the aggregate of 2,600 municipalities (cities and villages). ELECTIONS AND The political system is strongly influenced by DIRECT DEMOCRACY direct participation of the people. In addition to the participation in elections, referenda and ini- tiatives are the key elements of Switzerland’s well-established tradition of direct democracy. CONSENSUS The consensus type democracy is a third char- DEMOCRACY acteristic of Swiss political system. The institu- tions are designed to represent cultural diver- sity and to include all major political parties in a grand-coalition government. This leads to a non- concentration of power in any one hand but the diffusion of power among many actors. COMPARATIVE After the elaboration of these three important PERSPECTIVES elements of the Swiss political system, a com- parative perspective shall exemplify the main differences of the system vis-à-vis other western democracies CONTENTS PUBliCATION DaTA 2 FEDERAL SYSTEM Switzerland is a federal state with three ■■ The decentralised division of powers is political levels: the federal govern- also mirrored in the fiscal federal structure ment, the 26 cantons and around 2,600 giving the cantonal and municipal level own municipalities.
    [Show full text]
  • 16Th Plenary Session
    The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Chamber of Regions 18th SESSION CPR(18)2 1st March 2010 Regional democracy in Switzerland Institutional Committee Rapporteur: Marjan HAAK-GRIFFIOEN, Netherlands (R, NR1) A. Draft Recommendation ....................................................................................................................... 2 B. Explanatory Memorandum .................................................................................................................. 7 Summary This report concerns regional (cantonal) self-government in Switzerland, its structure and functioning, the major reforms of recent years, as well as their conformity with European standards and in particular with the new Reference Framework for Regional Democracy. It reaches the conclusion that, in Switzerland, the fundamental principles of regional self-government relating, inter alia, to cantons' full powers and responsibilities, participation in the shaping of federal policy and representation at federal level are fully in line with the principles laid down by the Reference Framework for Regional Democracy. However, the recommendation draws the Swiss authorities' attention to a few matters which could be the subject of possible reform, such as the institutionalisation of urban area (“agglomération”) structures, stabilisation of the financial equalisation system and intercantonal conventions and their application. 1 L: Chamber of Local Authorities/R: Chamber of Regions ILDG: Independent and Liberal Democrat Group of the Congress
    [Show full text]
  • I. Al Li Eii Swiss Legal Culture
    Marc Thommen Introduction to Swiss Law Edited by Daniel Hürlimann und Marc Thommen Volume 2 Marc Thommen Introduction to Swiss Law Editor: Prof. Dr. iur. Marc Thommen Zurich, Switzerland This work has been published as a graduate textbook in the book series sui generis, edited by Daniel Hürlimann and Marc Thommen (ISSN 2569-6629 Print, ISSN 2625-2910 Online). The German National Library (Deutsche Nationalbibliothek) lists this work in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the internet via http://dnb.d-nb.de. © 2018 Prof. Dr. Marc Thommen, Zurich (Switzerland) and the authors of the respective chapters. This work has been published under a Creative Commons license as Open Access which requires only the attribution of the authors when being reused. License type: CC-BY 4.0 – more information: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ DOI:10.24921/2018.94115924 Cover image credits: "5014 Gretzenbach" from the book Heimatland © 2018 Julian Salinas and Ursula Sprecher (http://www.juliansalinas.ch). Cover design: © 2018 Egbert Clement The font used for typesetting has been licensed under a SIL Open Font License, v 1.1. Printed in Germany and the Netherlands on acid-free paper with FSC certificate. The present work has been carefully prepared. Nevertheless, the authors and the publisher assume no liability for the accuracy of information and instructions as well as for any misprints. Lectorate: Chrissie Symington, Martina Jaussi Print and digital edition produced and published by: Carl Grossmann Publishers, Berlin, Bern www.carlgrossmann.com ISBN: 978-3-941159-23-5 (printed edition, paperback) ISBN: 978-3-941159-26-6 (printed edition, hardbound with jacket) ISBN: 978-3-941159-24-2 (e-Book, Open Access) v Preface A man picks an apple from a tree behind a bee house in Gretzenbach, a small village between Olten and Aarau.
    [Show full text]
  • Invoice of Compensation of Swindle of Royalties on Patents FERRAYÉ
    Marc-Etienne Burdet Recommanded / Personal Recommanded / Personal State of Vaud State of Geneva Mrs. Nuria GORRITE, Présidente Mr. François LONGCHAMP, Président P.a. DIRH Rue de l’Hôtel de Ville 2 Place de la Riponne 10 Case postale 3964 1014 Lausanne 1211 Genève 3 Recommanded / Personal Swiss Confederation Mrs. Doris LEUTHARD, President General Secretariat DETEC Kochergasse 6 3003 Berne Yverdon-les-Bains, August 30th, 2017 Invoice of compensation of swindle of royalties on patents FERRAYÉ Online links in blue are active on www.worldcorruption.info/reserves_civiles.htm (for those who are censored, follow www.censure.info. Links are also active on the attached CD. Madam President, Mr President, Since April 2004, I have not ceased to intervene politically and judicially to demonstrate the swindle of the royalties FERRAYÉ's on the extinguishing and blocking patents, used for the first time in the 1991 Kuwait War. It is obvious today that criminals who act by profession within states and the politico-judicial connivances that you contribute directly or indirectly to cover in the name of the ridiculous and sacrosanct "separation of powers", insure to them, the impunity in the missions entrusted. You must understand, however, that this behaviour involves not only the responsibility of the state, but also solidariy your individual and personal responsibility and that of all politicians. www.worldcorruption.info/reserves_civiles.htm The researches, inquiries and testimonies gathered today allow us to have the intimate conviction that the secret organization of Freemasonry is the apex organ of these cantonal criminals. This secret international organization controls the state by the secret "oath" taken by the elected members of the Sect over their lives ..
    [Show full text]
  • Switzerland © Oecd 1997 421 Managing Across Levels Of
    SWITZERLAND MANAGING ACROSS LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT SWITZERLAND Institutions and authority 1.1 Structures Description of levels The Swiss Confederation is a federal State -- with a total surface area of 41 300 km² and a population of 6 994 000 (1994 figures) -- which has three levels of government: • federal level; • canton level (23 cantons, three of which are divided into demi-cantons, bringing the total to 26); • municipal level (just under 3 000 municipalities in 1996). The official name of the country, the Swiss Confederation, can lead to some confusion since it is in fact a federal State. In 1848, its constituent member States decided to avoid the disruption of changing the country’s name, particularly since the German title “Eidgenossenschaft” has no exact equivalent in French. The present system of government in Switzerland developed from the bottom up. The cantons were originally sovereign States and they first set up the Confederation on the crest of a revolutionary wave. When discussing administrative management in Switzerland it is important to bear in mind that unlike most States which have decentralised their governments from the top down, Switzerland developed its structures from the bottom up. Central government has never derived its legitimacy from a monarch, and the cantons derive theirs from the people and the democratic process. The country has no head of State as such, instead, it has a government council, although in the early days this was composed of no more than about ten secretaries. The cantons are sovereign States within the Confederation as defined in Article 3 of the Swiss Constitution “The cantons are sovereign so far as their sovereignty is not limited by the Federal Constitution...”.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Institutional Roots of Swiss Democracy
    Advances in Economics and Business 4(8): 446-460, 2016 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/aeb.2016.040807 On the Institutional Roots of Swiss Democracy Gkanas Nikitas*, Kyriazis Nicholas Department of Economics, University of Thessaly, Greece Copyright©2016 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License. Abstract Looking back at the history of Switzerland, we as part of the query how Switzerland was created. can identify some structural changes in the economic, social The aim of this research is to explain the emergence and and cultural environment, also in the spiritual perceptions establishment of democracy in Switzerland through a and attitudes of citizens. These may constituted the basis for synthetic compound of institutional variables. By the term the creation of specific standards and played a crucial role in institutional we mean institutions as North [10] defined: an the political and economic course of the country. In this enduring set of rules to ensure consistency of the social study we examine how institutions can explain the system, as the formal (business, syndicate unions, emergence and establishment of democracy in Switzerland. government bodies, local governments, schools), social We investigate various aspects of human activity in structures (such as legal system, political system, language, Switzerland trend since the beginning of its emergence, in money), informal institutions such convention rules1, moral order to use the tool of macro-culture that includes shared rules 2 , habits 3 , social values 4 (norms), cultural values values, norms and beliefs that characterize the members of a (culture) and routines.
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Design, Innovation and Diffusion: Evidence from Cantonal Public Health Policies in Switzerland
    Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2015 Policy Design, Innovation and Diffusion: Evidence from Cantonal Public Health Policies in Switzerland Stadter, Cornelia Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-117434 Dissertation Published Version Originally published at: Stadter, Cornelia. Policy Design, Innovation and Diffusion: Evidence from Cantonal Public Health Policies in Switzerland. 2015, University of Zurich, Faculty of Arts. Policy Design, Innovation and Diffusion: Evidence from Cantonal Public Health Policies in Switzerland Thesis presented to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of the University of Zurich for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Cornelia Stadter Accepted in the fall semester 2015 on the recommendation of Prof. Dr. Thomas Widmer and Prof. Dr. Fabrizio Gilardi Zurich, 2018 Abstract What difference do the characteristics of innovative policies make? Do certain characteristics render such policies more adoptable? And do they condition the weight of other factors that explain policy innovation? Thus far, these questions have received little attention in research. In addressing them, this study focusses on characteristics that are inherent to the design of the particular policy innovation, including its designated beneficiaries, degree of intervention, complexity and implementation costs. Based on event history analyses of Swiss cantonal public health policies, it tests various hypotheses on the direct and indirect effects of policy design characteristics on the likelihood that states innovate. Its findings confirm that policy design characteristics matter for innovation decisions. Specifically, it shows that governments go by peer states’ previous adoptions of the policy at stake when deciding on complex and expensive innovative policies, but do not rely on such cues for decisions on simple and low-cost innovations.
    [Show full text]