Archive – Democracy

‘Sovereign money’ initiative handed in

This content was published on Dec 1, 2015 Voters are set to have the final say on a proposal by a group of activists to reform Swiss monetary policy and to grant the Swiss National Bank (SNB) the exclusive power to create new money.

Swiss village votes down hardline anti-asylum plan

This content was published on Nov 30, 2015 On Friday, voters in Oberwil-Lieli, 15km west of Zurich, rejected a proposal to pay a CHF290,000 ($280,000) charge instead of taking in asylum seekers. The community will instead accept six migrants following a protest and a feisty citizens’ assembly. Andreas Glarner, local mayor and a newly-elected to the national parliament as a representative of the…

Mexico’s direct democracy exists only on paper

This content was published on Nov 28, 2015 Luis Fernández, president of the non-governmental organisation, Participando por México, talks to swissinfo.ch about the steps needed to boost the participation of citizens in the country’s decision-making process. swissinfo.ch: The notion of direct democracy in Latin America differs from Europe. What is specific about Mexico’s approach? Luis Fernández: Direct democracy in Mexico is defined as…

Opinion

If Mayors Ruled the Globe

This content was published on Nov 26, 2015 This year’s edition of the World Forum for Democracy was entitled, ”Freedom vs control: For a democratic response.”

Burkhalter calls for accountability in democracy

This content was published on Nov 26, 2015 Foreign minister Didier Burkhalter gave a speech in Bern on Thursday in which he stressed that holding state authorities accountable is essential to a successful democracy.

‘Fair food’ initiative to be put to the vote

This content was published on Nov 26, 2015 The party submitted 105,631 signatures to the Federal Chancellery in Bern on Thursday in support of an initiative demanding that food imports should be socially equitable and environmentally responsible. “It’s the only concrete response to the new free trade agreement with the United States,” the Green Party said in a statement, referring to the 12-nation…

Participatory democracy

This content was published on Nov 25, 2015 The three-day event, hosted by the Arizona State University in Phoenix on December 3-5, brings together researchers, academics and policy-makers under the title ‘By the People: Participatory democracy, public engagement and citizenship education’. For further details click hereExternal link.

Footpath impasse is a ‘slap in the face’ for voters

This content was published on Nov 24, 2015 The Swiss vote on pretty much everything. But implementing controversial local ballot box decisions can be a major headache.

How Swiss is direct democracy in Paris and Madrid?

This content was published on Nov 20, 2015 In September, Madrid launched a platform inviting citizens to present their ideas. They are put to a public vote if they have a minimum amount of support from the population. The mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, admits she was fascinated by the model of Switzerland. Carmena, a former member of a United Nations committee on…

‘Switzerland is the gold standard for direct democracy’

This content was published on Nov 17, 2015 Comparative politics is David Altman’s job. The professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica in Chile is co-leader of the research project V-Dem, in which a group of 3,000 researchers has established 400 indicators to monitor democracy in 200 countries (for details, see box below). In 2014 he published the book “Direct Democracy Worldwide.” AltmanExternal link was…

Archive – Democracy

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Archive – Democracy

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‘Sovereign money’ initiative handed in

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Swiss village votes down hardline anti-asylum plan

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Mexico’s direct democracy exists only on paper

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If Mayors Ruled the Globe

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Burkhalter calls for accountability in democracy

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‘Fair food’ initiative to be put to the vote

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Participatory democracy

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Footpath impasse is a ‘slap in the face’ for voters

More

How Swiss is direct democracy in Paris and Madrid?

More

‘Switzerland is the gold standard for direct democracy’

Popular Stories

Most Discussed