Swiss government in-line with Swiss population, study shows
How well do the politicians in the Swiss federal government represent the population? A new database from the Institute for Swiss Economic Policy examines Parliament's proximity to citizens.
This content was published on
4 minutes
Keystone-SDA/NZZ/amva
Русский
ru
Народ и власть в Швейцарии: не едины, но вполне близки
A study shows that contrary to popular belief, Swiss citizens are not being ignored, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) writes. Analysing data taken from an interactive tool from the Institute for Swiss Economic Policy (IWP) at the University of Lucerne, the Parlameter (from “parliament” and “meter”) provides new insights into the question of how politicians in Switzerland represent the population.
Its design is reminiscent of the Smartvote platform, but the tool is not based on user questionnaires, but rather on the user casts a vote in 18 federal referendums from the last two legislative periods. The Parlameter then shows the user how their voting behaviour corresponds to that of the members of parliament and parties. As the IWP puts it, the results show decisions on factual issues instead of on election promises.
More
More
Elections 2023: discover your political profile
This content was published on
“Smartvote” can help to place you on the political spectrum and to find suitable candidates for October’s elections.
With 66.5% and 74.9% agreement respectively, the House of Representatives and the Senate are often in line with the majority of the population. A look at the past seven legislatures also contradicts the idea that the Swiss parliament and the electorate have drifted apart. The level of agreement on issues that go to the ballot box has fluctuated constantly between 60% and 72% since 1995.
Overall, Parliament represents the attitude of the male majority of the people slightly better than that of the female majority (67.9% and 63.5% respectively). However, for other parameters the difference is more significant. For example, there are greater differences between the cantons than between the genders, says project manager Marco Portmann to NZZ.
More
More
A 27th canton? How the voices of Swiss Abroad can be heard
This content was published on
Should the Swiss Abroad form their own canton to have better chances in Swiss elections? The arguments for and against.
The age and gender of population groups hardly play the role that they are given in identity policy debates. “If you look at who represents the opinion of young voters, some long-standing parliamentarians and older men appear at the top,” says Portmann.
Wealthy citizens are better represented
However, the tool does shows that high-income earners have their opinions better represented across government – from left to right across party lines, says the NZZ. According to Portmann, this phenomenon can also be observed in other countries. Research shows that wealthy people tend to be better informed and exercise their political rights more often. “In addition, people with higher incomes often have interests with a better lobby.”
More
More
Voters and cantons enthusiastic about ‘successful’ e-voting trial
This content was published on
For the first time since 2019, several thousand Swiss citizens abroad voted electronically in federal referendums on Sunday.
The parliament also partially dispels common clichés. For example, the image of the Social Democratic Party or the Swiss People’s Party as a party for low earners. Across all referendums in the last two legislatures, the Evangelical People’s Party of Switzerland or even the Radical-Liberals International represented the opinions of people with low incomes better than the two pole parties. Portmann says to the NZZ: “Not every low-income person automatically ticks left or right.” Among the parliamentarians who represent the population with monthly incomes over CHF9,000 ($10,029) there were only middle-class representatives in the top ten.
The Parlameter is a data-based, “playful” tool for those interested in politics. However, Portmann does not want to see this as competition to Smartvote, rather as an addition. The IWP’s “Election Help” is based on just 18 referendums – conveying a less complex picture than Smartvote, which covers 30 or 75 prompts, writes the NZZ.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
More
More
Become a democracy pro in four weeks – sign up now!
Be prepared for the 2023 elections.
Sign up now for free
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Switzerland must urgently improve electricity distribution, says new sector boss
This content was published on
Switzerland needs to develop its electricity transmission and distribution network, says the new president of the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies, Martin Schwab.
Dutch mountaineer dies in Silvretta Alps on Swiss-Austrian border
This content was published on
A Dutch alpinist died in a fall on the Silvrettahorn in eastern Switzerland on Friday while descending the peak, cantonal police announced.
Many Swiss unenthusiastic about Eurovision song contest hosting duties
This content was published on
Less than half of the Swiss population are looking forward to the Eurovision Song Contest being held in Switzerland, says a new survey.
Béjart Ballet: Julien Favreau confirmed as Artistic Director
This content was published on
Julien Favreau has been confirmed as Artistic Director of Béjart Ballet Lausanne. The Frenchman had been acting in this role since February.
Historian urges further scrutiny of Zurich art collection’s provenance
This content was published on
An investigation led by Raphael Gross concluded that the provenance of the collection's pieces and also its name warrant a closer look.
Tourism spending in Switzerland hit record levels in 2023
This content was published on
Both revenue generated from foreign guests as well as spending by the Swiss on travels abroad rose to above pre-pandemic highs.
Radical-Liberals International: a youthful friend of the Swiss Abroad
This content was published on
Although the party doesn't believe a Swiss bank account is a fundamental right for citizens abroad, it's campaigning for a solution to this issue.
This content was published on
The Centre is convinced that an international network is more efficient for engaging Swiss expats in political life than having a party branch abroad.
This content was published on
Like the Swiss Abroad, the Swiss Green Party thinks globally. It is, for instance, committed to good relations with the EU.
This content was published on
The Liberal Green Party has the newest international section of all Swiss parties, but it has a close affinity to common issues of the Swiss Abroad.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.