Dear researcher
I am researching the topic of democracy in Switzerland. We have been a democracy since 1848, or so they say.
But can a democracy be introduced overnight? What was the situation like in Switzerland at the time: how prepared was the population for democracy? Were there protests against its introduction? Did people in higher positions reject democracy?
Dear Ella,
this is a very important question in the history of democracy.
What is ‘democracy’?
It depends, first and foremost, on what one understands by ‘democracy’ (i.e. rule by the people) – and there is much debate on this!
How far do political rights extend, for example? Who has a say in the political system and enjoys the freedoms that come with it? From 1848 onwards, all “Swiss citizens” were allowed to vote and take part in referendums. However, this excluded Swiss women. Here is a more comprehensive proposed definition and historical context by Andreas Suter and Georg Kreis in the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland: https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/009926/2021-02-17/
Democracy at federal level
Your question is nevertheless a good one in the context of 1848. I would limit it to the innovations introduced by the Federal Constitution at that time, in particular universal suffrage for men for the new representative institutions at federal level (the National Council and the Council of States). The Federal Constitution was the result of complex compromises following the Sonderbund War. These were reached between the Liberals and the Catholic Conservatives, and also concerned demands for greater or lesser opportunities for participation. To whom should these rights apply, and how should they function? At the same time, many of these innovations built on debates at cantonal level in earlier decades. On these conflicts, I recommend a fascinating book by Jo Lang (Democracy in Switzerland: Past and Present, 2020).
The pace of democratisation
Regarding your question about how quickly or easily these changes took place: Firstly, it can be said that, particularly at cantonal level, restrictions on democratic rights remained in place for a long time. Jewish citizens were not allowed to vote until 1866. Citizens also first had to learn what it meant to vote (and take part in referendums). These procedures first had to be standardised. Voting booths, for example, are an invention of the late 19th century that many countries have adopted to combat electoral fraud. See a short blog post on this:https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/voting-booths-were-a-radical-19th-century-reform-to-stop-election-fraud
I hope that helps!
Kind regards
Zoé Kergomard