Swiss citizens approve of their government and the way democracy is practiced; they trust the authorities and are satisfied with the range of services Swiss governments provide. This is quite unusual when compared to other countries. This open access book provides insight into the organization and the functioning of the Swiss state. It claims that, beyond politics, institutions and public administration, there are other factors which make a country successful. The authors argue that Switzerland is an interesting case, from a theoretical, scientific and a more practice-oriented perspective. While confronted with the same challenges as other countries, Switzerland offers different solutions, some of which work astonishingly well.

Questions why Switzerland undertakes different approaches to common public policy problems, with a high rate of success

IntroductionSociety, Government, and the Political System Andreas LadnerThe Organization and Provision of Public Services Andreas LadnerThe Characteristics of Public Administration in Switzerland Andreas LadnerThe concept of Law and the principe of legality Sophie WeertsThe preparliamentary phase in law-drafting : the power issues at stake Christine Guy-EcabertThe Federal Administration as an actor in the domestic integration of international law Sophie Weerts / Amalia SophiaSoft Law Instruments in Public Law Alexandre FlückigerJudicial federalism and constitutional review in the Swiss Judiciary Pascal MahonThe new model of Swiss public management Jean-Loup ChappeletPublic Private Partnerships: A Swiss Perspective Laure Athias / Moudo Macina / Pascal WichtIn-depth modernization of HRM in the public sector: the Swiss way Yves EmeryCommunication and Transparency Martial PasquierThe Road to Digital and Smart Government in Switzerland Tobias MettlerFinancial management system, legislation and stakeholders Nils SoguelThe Swiss way of presenting the governments' financial statements Nils SoguelTax power and tax competition Nils SoguelFiscal Equalization: Financial transfers between governments Nils SoguelSocial security policy Giuliano BonoliHealth Policy Josef Philipp TreinPolicy Networks and the Role(s) of Public Administrations Frédéric Varone / Karin Miryam Ingold/ Manuel FischerFactors contributing to the strong institutionalization of policy evaluation in Switzerland Katia Horber-Papazian / Marion Baud-Lavigne