Interest Groups in Switzerland

This article is a general presentation of Swiss socioeconomic groups and associations and of the role they play in Swiss political life. While the main organizations were created before 1900, the evolution of the associations corre sponds to the general trends of industrialization and division of labor. Swiss groups are characterized by a high concentra tion of their central bodies in Zurich and Berne and by federal structures reproducing the cantonal divisions of Switzerland. Consultation, based on constitutional provisions, is highly developed not only in internal politics, but also in foreign policy matters. One specific feature of this process is the existence of both the referendum and the initiative which constitute an element of the bargaining power of different associations. To illustrate this process, I draw on two ex amples : one related to the law on cartels and the other to the inflation policy. The last, but not the least interesting, aspect is the perception of this process by the public. In fact, our Swiss survey of 1972 gives a good idea of how the public perceives the influence of different groups and their capacity to defend its interests. It is clear that if the legitimacy of these associations and their activities is generally recognized, the Swiss voter condemns all violent forms of action and is reluc tant even to approve demonstrations. On the other hand, normal activities of socioeconomic groups are supported by a large consensus.