Direct Democracy in Switzerland

Direct Democracy in Switzerland

Direct democracy allows citizens to decide on the country’s policies directly. Most of the states adopt a representative type of democracy, unlike pure democracy. In Switzerland, citizens pass executive decisions and laws without necessarily having an intermediary representative.

Switzerland is one of few nations in history to have practiced direct democracy. Any form of legislation drafted by the political class is subjected to the public for approval (Fossedal, 2018). After the political elites make legislation, institutions call the citizens to review the legislation and sign. If the signatures by the people exceed the required number, the legislation or proposed policy is passed as a law. The public participation in any bill in Switzerland grants more power to the citizens.

In Switzerland, the instruments of direct democracy allow the citizens to participate in voting without registering as voters. Voting in Switzerland is conducted about four times in every financial year. The regular voting culture in Switzerland enables the citizens to decide on issues such as the construction of a new street, change of a certain policy, or financial approvals. All the citizens are supplied with ballot papers and information regarding every voting. The citizens are sensitized on the voting dates and the reason for the voting. For instance, if there is a need to construct a new street in Switzerland, the citizens are allowed to cast their votes. The street will only be built if the majority of the citizens votes for the construction.

In conclusion, direct democracy gives people more power, unlike the representative type of democracy. Switzerland is one of the rare countries with instruments of direct democracy. In Switzerland, any form of legislation is decided by the citizens because direct democracy gives more power to the people.

References

Fossedal, G. (2018). Direct democracy in Switzerland. Routledge.