Switzerland
referendum, Centre for Research on Direct Democracy (C2D), direct democracy, report, worldwide
Focus of our analysis
Switzerland is known for its direct democracy and large number of referendum votes. This is why we have compiled this analysis on Swiss national referendums since 1793, and Swiss cantonal referendums since 1970. We have not yet recorded earlier cantonal referendums into the Referendum Database. Also at the cantonal level, we have omitted Landsgemeinde votes from the analysis, because they have not yet been completely recorded. This means that we completely exclude the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus from the analysis. Votes in Nidwalden are included from 1997 onwards, votes in Appenzell Ausserrhoden from 1998 onwards, and votes in Obwalden from 1999 onwards. Furthermore, our database contains only few referendums at the municipal level, which is why we did not analyze the municipal level in more detail.
We use the internationally established nomenclature on popular votes, with the term referendum referring to any popular vote. Please note that this usage is broader than the common Swiss usage of the term “referendum”, which does not encompass citizens’ initiatives. In our analysis, we continue to distinguish between the referendum as a vote on a single question, and the ballot date as the date on which one or several referendums are held in a polity.
Report structure
In the following analysis, we first provide a big picture (1 Big picture), showing why Switzerland is unique with regard to the number of referendums. Afterwards, we compare these counts of referendums at the national and cantonal level (2 Number of referendums). Subsequently, the report delves into an analysis of types of referendums (3 Types), showing various attributes of different types of direct democratic instruments. 4 Political topics investigates the various topics that are voted on in referendums in Switzerland. 5 Turnout then proceeds with an empirical examination of the turnout, while 6 Outcome delves deeper into their outcomes. 7 Congruence of citizens and government examines the congruence between governmental/parliamentary recommendations and popular votes. Finally, we summarize our findings in 8 Conclusion and outlook and provide an outlook for future research endeavors.