The article deals with the issues of populist parties that have so far received only little
attention in research. Based on a theoretical approach of defining populism, the article …

How does transparency affect voting behavior? To answer this question we exploit a switch
from a show of hands to electronic voting in the Upper House of the Swiss Parliament. The …

Do family members steer each other toward new and rising political parties? This article
shows that the family—traditionally viewed as a bulwark for electoral stability over time—is …

For all their differences, both Austria and Switzerland have long been considered to
represent key examples of consociational democracy. Since the 1990s, both countries have …

Electoral systems determine the role that representatives' party affiliations play in political
representation. According to conventional expectations, party affiliation drives the behavior …

This comprehensive and comparative book makes clear what party families are and, in
doing so, helps categorise and make sense of parties in different countries. It describes the …

Introduction Federalism and democracy are among the core concepts of political science.
The respective ideas have informed institutional design and political practice in a great …

Ein Buch sollte eigentlich für sich selbst sprechen. Angesichts nicht nur der geradezu
atemberaubenden Vermehrung der sozialwissenschaftlichen Literatur, sondern auch des …

Studies of Swiss politics often begin with an analysis of three fundamental features that
supposedly define the Swiss political system: neutrality, direct democracy and federalism. 1 …

1. Background Switzerland is a federal republic combining perfect bicameralism, semi-
presidentialism, and the extensive use of direct democracy. 2 The 200-seat lower house of …