Modern Direct Democracy: in Switzerland and the American West

As a leading country in science, research and technology, Switzerland works with key players in the American West to address the challenges of the future and find solutions that benefit our world. Further information can be found at the websites below or by contacting the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington directly.

Openings:

September 21, 2011: San Francisco, Fort Mason Center

September 26, 2011: Portland, Oregon, Lewis & Clark

November 19, 2009: supporters of the initiative against the export of war materials build flash mobs all over Switzerland to add authority to their claims (here in Zurich). (Image Credit: © Keystone)

More and More Every Decade

After the introduction of the federal citizens’ initiative in Switzerland in 1891, only five such initiatives were launched in the first decade. Between 1911 and 1920, just two citizens’ initiatives made it to the voters. Since then, however, this innovative form of participation has become more and more popular. Since 1970, there has been a veritable boom in initiatives. The past decade was the busiest on record for initiatives: thirty-six citizens’ initiatives have been brought to a popular vote since 2001.

Especially after 1970, there was a real boom of citizen’s Initiatives in Switzerland. (Data Source: Swiss Federal Chancellery)

A Clear Trend

Political rights are on the rise. Thirty-five years ago, there were just forty-four countries worldwide that granted their citizens basic political and civic rights. Since then, that number has more than doubled. According to the Freedom House Index, people in eighty-nine nations, representing more than half of the world’s population, enjoy basic political and civil liberties today. The same global trend has boosted modern direct democracy. More and more countries have introduced forms of initiative and referendum recently–especially at the local and regional levels.

The share of people enjoying extensive political and civil liberties is rising. Still, one out of every three people on earth lives in a country where people have only weak political and civil rights.

Popular Votes on Substantive Issues Throughout the World.

Over the past twenty-five years, modern direct democracy has experienced an enormous boom. More than half of all the referendum and initiative votes in world history took place in the last quarter century. There are only a few countries in which there are no forms of direct democratic participation at the national or regional levels. Between 1901 and 1910, only 22 percent of the initiative and referendum votes worldwide took place outside Europe. During the first decade of the new millennium, 44 percent of the 298 popular votes at the national or regional levels were outside Europe.