The Oxford Handbook of Swiss Politics

This volume provides a comprehensive analysis of the many different facets of the Swiss political system and of the major developments in modern Swiss politics. It brings together a diverse set of more than 50 leading experts in their respective areas, who explore Switzerland’s distinctive and sometimes intriguing politics at all levels and across multiple themes. In placing the topics in an international and comparative context and in conversation with the broader scholarly literature, the contributors provide a much-needed counterpoint to the rather idealized and sometimes outdated perception of Swiss politics. The work is divided into thematic sections that represent the inherent diversity of the Swiss political sphere: following a detailed introduction from the editors, the parts of the volume explore foundations, institutions, cantons and municipalities, actors, elections and votes, decision-making processes, and public policies, with a three-chapter epilogue. Throughout, The Oxford Handbook of Swiss Politics presents new arguments, insights, and data, and offers analyses relevant not only to political science but also to international relations, European studies, history, sociology, law, and economics.

Patrick Emmenegger, Professor of Comparative Political Economy and Public Policy, University of St Gallen, Flavia Fossati, Assistant Professor for Inequality and Integration Studies, University of Lausanne, Sijla Häusermann, Professor of Political Science, University of Zurich, Yannis Papadopoulos, Professor of Swiss Politics and Public Policy, University of Lausanne, Pascal Sciarini, Professor of Swiss and Comparative Politics, University of Geneva, Adrian Vatter, Full Professor of Political Science (Swiss Politics), University of Bern

Patrick Emmenegger is Professor of Comparative Political Economy and Public Policy at the University of St. Gallen. His research focuses on the political economy of welfare and skills, labour market regulation, industrial relations, democratization, state building, the politics of taxation, and institutional theory.

Flavia Fossati is Assistant Professor for Inequality and Integration Studies at the University of Lausanne and at the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Life Course Research (CIR-LIVES). Her research interests include social and immigration policies, deservingness and welfare state chauvinism, and survey experiments.

Silja Häusermann is Professor of Political Science at the University of Zurich. She studies welfare state politics and party system change in advanced capitalist democracies. She directs the ERC-project ’welfarepriorities’ and is the co-director of the UZH University Research Priority Programme ’Equality of Opportunity’.

Yannis Papadopoulos is Professor of Swiss Politics and Public Policy at the Institute of Political Studies, University of Lausanne and a member of the Laboratory for Analysis and Public Policy. His research concentrates on recent developments in Swiss policy-making and on the broader implications of governance transformations for accountability and democracy.

Pascal Sciarini is Professor of Swiss and Comparative politics and Dean of the School of Social Sciences at the University of Geneva. His main research topics are decision-making processes, direct democracy, Europeanization, and electoral behaviour.

Adrian Vatter is Full Professor of Political Science (Swiss Politics) at the Institute of Political Science, University of Bern. His research explores Swiss politics, federalism, direct democracy, consensus democracy, sub-national politics, and comparative public policy.