Politics and institutions

The topic

Long characterised as an inherently stable part of the country’s make-up, Switzerland’s politico-administrative system has started to meet upcoming challenges with a series of reforms. This course follows the ins and outs of these changes through the lens of institutional policies—that is, the policies which define the rules of the politico-administrative game. The course concentrates its analysis on the federal level and uses administrative science and political science as its main analytical tools.

Auteur: Gidoca CC BY-SA 3.0

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Objectives

Decode Switzerland’s institutional architecture and its effects on the country’s politico-administrative system;
Analyse the structure and functioning of Switzerland’s public administration, as well as reforms currently underway in this domain;
Discuss the federal administration’s role within Switzerland’s political system, notably within the legislative process.

Target audience

Students studying for the MAS in public administration (MPA);
Students studying for the DAS in public administration;
Employees in federal and cantonal administrations;
Political representatives;
Journalists and other interested observers of Switzerland’s political landscape.

Program

L'État - histoire, développement et administration
Le fédéralisme et la réforme RPT
Les cantons et les communes
Le système de gouvernement - la concordance
Les parlements et les processus législatifs fédéraux
La démocratie directe

Bibliography

Ladner, Andreas, Jean-Loup Chappelet, Yves Emery, Peter Knoepfel, Luzius Mader, Nils Soguel und Frédéric Varone (eds) (2013). Manuel d'administration publique suisse. Lausanne: PPUR.
Knoepfel, Peter, Yannis Papadopoulos, Pascal Sciarini, Adrian Vatter und Silja Häusermann (Hrsg.). Handbuch der Schweizer Politik. Zürich: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 5. völlig überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage.
Lane, Jan-Erik (ed.) (2001). The Swiss Labyrinth. Institutions, Outcomes and Redesign. London: Franck Cass
Kriesi, Hanspeter (1998). Le système politique suisse, Paris: Economica. 2e edition.
Kriesi, Hanspeter and Alexander H. Trechsel (2008). The Politics of Switzerland. Continuity and Change in a Consensus Democracy. Cambridge: University Press.
Linder, Wolf (2012). Schweizerische Demokratie. Institutionen, Prozesse, Perspektiven. Bern: Haupt, 3. Aufl.
Vatter, Adrian (2014). Das politische System der Schweiz. Studienkurs Politikwissenschaft. Baden-Baden: Nomos UTB.
Windisch, Uli (2007). Le modèle suisse. Lausanne: L'Age d'Homme.

Registration fees

Practical information

Course led by Prof. Andreas Ladner.