Why Switzerland?

Why Switzerland? PDF Author: Jonathan Steinberg
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316445062
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 578

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Book Description
Revised and completely updated edition of Jonathan Steinberg's classic account of Switzerland's unique political and economic system. Why Switzerland? examines the complicated voting system that allows citizens to add, strike out, or vote more than once for candidates, with extremely complicated systems of proportional representation; a collective and consensual executive leadership in both state and church; and the creation of the Swiss idea of citizenship, with tolerance of differences of language and religion, and a perfectionist bureaucracy which regulates the well-ordered society. This third edition tries to test the flexibility of the Swiss way of politics in the globalized world, social media, the huge expansion of money in world circulation and the vast tsunamis of capital which threaten to swamp it. Can the complex machinery that has maintained Swiss institutions for centuries survive globalization, neo-liberalism and mass migration from poor countries to rich ones?

Switzerland and the European Union

Switzerland and the European Union PDF Author: Clive H. Church
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134194366
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
This book demonstrates the range, depth and complexity of Switzerland’s developing relations with Europe and provides detailed and up-to-date information on Switzerland itself.

Switzerland in Europe

Switzerland in Europe PDF Author: Christine Trampusch
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1136815023
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
The book provides the first systematic overview of Swiss political economy in comparative perspective. It provides an analysis of major socio-economic institutions, economic actors, economic and social policies, and political institutions and their recent changes.

Why Switzerland?

Why Switzerland? PDF Author: Jonathan Steinberg
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521883075
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 405

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Book Description
Revised and completely updated edition of Jonathan Steinberg's classic account of Switzerland's unique political and economic system. Why Switzerland? examines the complicated voting system that allows citizens to add, strike out, or vote more than once for candidates, with extremely complicated systems of proportional representation; a collective and consensual executive leadership in both state and church; and the creation of the Swiss idea of citizenship, with tolerance of differences of language and religion, and a perfectionist bureaucracy which regulates the well-ordered society. This third edition tries to test the flexibility of the Swiss way of politics in the globalized world, social media, the huge expansion of money in world circulation and the vast tsunamis of capital which threaten to swamp it. Can the complex machinery that has maintained Swiss institutions for centuries survive globalization, neo-liberalism and mass migration from poor countries to rich ones?

Switzerland--European Union

Switzerland--European Union PDF Author: René Schwok
Publisher: Peter Lang
ISBN: 9789052015767
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description
This study explains in an accessible manner the key elements of the relationship between the Swiss Confederation and the European Union. The author begins by summarizing the main steps in this special and evolving relationship which has long oscillated between membership and marginalization. He also guides us expertly through the thickets of referendums (no fewer than fourteen from 1972 to the time of writing!) in which Swiss citizens have been given the opportunity to pass judgment on the European question. Finally and perhaps most importantly, this volume explains why the Swiss still oppose joining the European Union. It examines the thorny questions of identity, reservations on policy matters (preserving neutrality, direct democracy and Swiss style federalism), not to mention doubts regarding the economy, which have done so much to shape public opinion and the official strategy of the Swiss Confederation. Paradoxically, the closer Switzerland gets to the EU through bilateral agreements, the more distant prospects of joining the EU seem to become. This is the conundrum at the heart of the relationship between the Swiss Confederation and the European Union which is expertly explored in this volume.

Gleanings in Europe

Gleanings in Europe PDF Author: James Fenimore Cooper
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 0791499804
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 438

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Book Description
In the summer of 1828 James Fenimore Cooper, his wife, and their five children set out from Paris for Switzerland, and Cooper wrote that he experienced a "glorious anticipation," for "a common-place converse with men was about to give place to a sublime communion with Nature." Sketches of Switzerland, the book which describes this experience and which is republished here for the first time in the United States since its original issue in 1836, was the first of five European travel books written, Cooper said, "for my own Countrymen," in which the American novelist gave "rapid sketches" of what he saw "with American eyes," studiously avoiding the drab, factual accounts of ordinary tourists. His indispensable resources in the composition of Switzerland were his gifts of total recall and his skill in writing prose pictures in the style then known as "picturesque." Seeking an immediacy analogous to that of the artist's brush, Cooper captures various elements of "picturesque" style, especially the incongruity between the sublime, terrifying scenery and the more familiar sights and associations of domestic life. Even in the creation of verbal pictures, Cooper could not resist expressing his concerns with society and politics; and though his criticism seems harmless enough today—perhaps even salutary—it was disturbing to American readers less secure than Cooper in their confidence in their institutions and society. Partly, at least, for this reason, Cooper's most successful nonfictional experiment in the "picturesque" mode has never been adequately appreciated.

A Concise History of Switzerland

A Concise History of Switzerland PDF Author: Clive H. Church
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 052119444X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
This comprehensive and engaging new history traces Switzerland's changeable development from its medieval origins to the present.

China's European Headquarters

China's European Headquarters PDF Author: Ariane Knüsel
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1009204874
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 327

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Book Description
During the Cold War, the People's Republic of China used Switzerland as headquarters for its economic, political, intelligence, and cultural networks in Europe. Based on extensive research in Western and Chinese archives, China's European Headquarters charts not only how Switzerland came to play this role, but also how Chinese networks were built in practice, often beyond the public face of official proclamations and diplomatic interactions. By tracing the development of Sino-Swiss relations in the Cold War, Ariane Knüsel sheds new light on the People's Republic of China's formulation and implementation of foreign policy in Europe, Latin America and Africa and Switzerland's efforts to align neutrality, humanitarian engagement, and economic interests.

Switzerland - Culture Smart!

Switzerland - Culture Smart! PDF Author: Kendall Hunter
Publisher: Bravo Limited
ISBN: 1857338456
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 169

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Book Description
There is far more to Switzerland than beautiful scenery, chocolate, watches, faceless bankers, and spotless cities. The real Switzerland is full of surprises and anything but bland. This small, rugged, landlocked country at the heart of Europe has been a confederation since the first three cantons came together in a defensive alliance in 1291. Four national languages are spoken within its borders. Its present twenty-six cantons are largely autonomous and retain their individual characters. In this grassroots democracy real power lies with the people, who exercise it directly through frequent referendums. “Swissness” is, above all, a spirit of independence and of communal involvement.Although it is a model of peace and multicultural cooperation, with one of the highest standards of living in Europe, Switzerland’s prosperity has been hard-won. Historically neutral, it maintains a semi-detached relationship within the European Union. In 2014, a national referendum supported quotas on EU migrants. Despite the several hundred thousand EU nationals living and working within its borders, and almost half a million Swiss working in the EU, this small, resource-poor country appears determined to retain its independence. Culture Smart! Switzerland provides an historical perspective, explores Swiss values and attitudes, and looks at the cultural continuity of festivals and traditions. It helps you navigate the workplace, the neighborhood, and the social scene. It offers crucial insights into Swiss business culture, and more generally on differences in communication style. Swiss people are not always easy to get to know. Proud, industrious, fair-minded, and creative, they respect the individual, which means that while they appreciate clear thinking and direct talking, they avoid confrontation. They will never intrude, yet will willingly help out if asked. Make the effort, and people will respond. Warmth, decency, intelligence, and wit are among the many hidden riches of this fascinating society.

Reluctant Europeans

Reluctant Europeans PDF Author: Sieglinde Gstöhl
Publisher: Lynne Rienner Publishers
ISBN: 9781588260369
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Analysing some 30 policy decisions across three countries and five decades, Sieglinde Gstohl considers why some countries continue to be 'reluctant Europeans' and offers insights into the problems associated with integration in an enlarging EU.

Switzerland’s Differentiated European Integration

Switzerland’s Differentiated European Integration PDF Author: Sabine Jenni
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9783319336831
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book analyses Switzerland’s European policies using the concept of differentiated European integration, providing a new and original perspective on the country. This analytical approach focuses on the similarities between Switzerland's EU policies and the integration of EU member states. The latter have often been the focus of research as Switzerland is the last Western European country not to have become a member of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA). The book claims that Switzerland’s position on the European integration map is different in terms of degree from many EU member states, but not different in kind. The cornerstone of the book is new empirical data quantitatively measuring Switzerland’s differentiated integration during the period 1990 – 2010. The data rely on the sectoral agreements Switzerland concluded with the EU and the voluntary incorporation of EU law into domestic legislation. The book shows, among other findings, that over time Swiss European policies have begun to resemble integration policies and that the more they did so, the more dynamically they evolved.