Democracy at Its Best - The Swiss Style!

'Government of the people, by the people and for				Switzerland, a Swiss citizen votes several times
the people', it was Lincoln on democracy. The				on policy issues at the Federal, Cantonal and
democracy that he defined prevails in his mother				Communal levels.
country, US. Thanks to the US constitution which				After the formation of Swiss federation in the
plays the balancing act between the three				year 1848, for nearly 120 years, the women did
premiere institutions of democracy, the legislature,				not have any political rights. Only limited number
the executive and the judiciary in the US with a				of people took part in the direct democracy. Only
series of powers given to these institutions to				in the 1960s, voting rights were extended to
control each other, known as 'checks and				others. In the year 1971, an all-men federal
balances'. Though the President of US is said to be				assembly extended the full fledged political rights
elected directly by the people of US, it is an				to women.
electoral college that ultimately decides who is to				Every Swiss citizen who has completed the age
become the President. Election to the upper				of 18 is eligible to participate in the direct
house, meant for the Senates is held once in two				democratic process, whether he or she is
years; similarly members to the House of				Switzerland or in the abroad. A Swiss canton has
Representatives are elected by the people				been even more liberal by extending the right to
periodically. The democracy that prevails in the US				vote to its citizens who have attained the age of
is an indirect form of democracy through the				16.After 2005, almost 50 % of the Swiss citizens
elected representatives of the people.				are taking part in the direct democratic process.
In India, considered to be the largest democracy				In Switzerland, elections are held by secret ballot
of the world with a population of more than 120				and organized by the communes, which
million, people are delegating their power to their				automatically register their citizens of voting age
representatives through the election process. The				within their jurisdiction. A large majority of Swiss
elected members are sometimes participating in				people hand-mark their ballot papers and send
the voice voting and in rare cases involving				them by mail. Each canton also conducts the first
important issues as well as electing the President				tests of voting through Internet or through mobile
or the Vice President of India they exercise their				phone at a local level of a commune. Before the
vote in a secret ballot. Though illiteracy plays its				commencement of the voting process each
havoc in having a healthy democracy in India, by				canton sends its voters the details of the issue on
and large, it is successful.				which voting is going to take place, the merits and
Despite the success of democracy, still you				demerits of voting for and against the issue etc.
cannot say that democracy is at its best in these				In the direct democracy that prevails in
countries. If you make a sincere search among				Switzerland, the main instruments of it are called
the democratic countries in Europe, you can come				peoples initiative and optional referendum.
across a small country namely Switzerland, where				The people's initiative was introduced in the year
democracy is at its best. It is the constitution of				1891 and the optional referendum was introduced
Switzerland that has provisions ensuring the direct				in the year 1874.
democracy in Switzerland. It is the only country				The people's initiative is used for voting in order
where the direct democracy prevails in which				to make a change in the constitution partially or
people have the last word on fundamental issues.				wholly.100, 000 signatures of citizens are to be
In this political system called 'direct democracy',				gathered within 18 months from the date of
people are allowed to make legislative and				initiating the process. But most people's initiatives
constitutional changes directly.				fail at the ballot box. Only 10 % initiatives
The direct democracy that prevails in Switzerland				between the period 1891 and 2007 passed and
differs from the representative democracy of				got through.
the US or India, where people delegate power to				The referendum gives Swiss citizens the right to
the elected representatives. But the Swiss political				vote on legislation after they have been passed
system has both the elements of direct				by the parliament. In fact this referendum in a
democracy and parliament and so it is referred to				way creates more pressure and responsibility
as the semi-direct democracy.				among the Swiss legislators, lest it may get
From the Federal Assembly, seven members are				defeated in the referendum. Therefore, the
elected as federal council members through an				legislators actually hold active parleys among the
indirect system of election by the Federal				people so as to enlighten them about the
Assembly members. One of these Federal Council				proposed bill besides enlisting their support. There
members holds his post as the President of				are two types of referendum called optional and
Switzerland by rotation for one year. This system				obligatory. The Swiss referendums are quite
of electing the President of Switzerland from one				popular, the most recent being 'the ban on
among the federal councilors is an indirect method				minarets in Switzerland' that took place on 29,
of democracy. When you compare the system				November,2009, in which 57.5 % voters favored
of indirect election of presidents of US or India,				the ban.
the Swiss system is the best, besides being very				Another interesting referendum that took place in
simple, less cumbersome and without any scope				the year 1996 was in favor of allowing a
for corruption. In a democracy, if a person holds				commune that had a population of only 70, to
power for a longer term in office there is more				part its ways from the Canton of Bern and
scope for misuse and corruption; after all power				merge with another canton. Of course, the wish
corrupts power and absolute power corrupts				of the commune was allowed and fulfilled.
absolutely.				Therefore, the democracy at its best actually
In the direct democracy that prevails in				prevails in Switzerland than elsewhere in the world.