Direct Legislation by the Citizenship Through the Initiative and Referendum |
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adopted affairs Airolo American annual appropriated army Article Bâle ballot Berne Boyd Winchester canton of Switzerland cantonal executive cent citizens citizenship communal lands Confederation constitution corporation demand demi-canton democracy democratic direct legislation economic elected employers England town equal rights eral executive council fact Federal Assembly federal executive council forests freedom Geneva Glarus Grand Council industrial inhabitants Initiative and Referendum justice labor Landsgemeinde cantons large number lawmaking legis legislative body legislature liberty majority masses measure meinde ment methods monopoly nation natural Neuchâtel obligatory Referendum offi Optional Ref organization party passed petition plutocracy politician Post-Office postal practice principles privileges proposed question radical railroad Referen reform reject representative government republic rule Schwyz selectmen self-government social sovereignty strike submitted Swiss politics Switzerland tariff taxation taxes Ticino tion town meeting town officers unions United Valais Vaud voters wage-workers wages workers Zurich
Popular passages
Page 86 - Hence, they fall back on the referendum as the best course available under the circumstances of the case, and in such a world as the present. They do not claim that it has any great educative effect on the people. But they remark with truth that the mass of the people are equal in intelligence and character to the average State legislator, and are exposed to fewer temptations. The legislator can be " got at,
Page 64 - This principle that the earth belongs to the living and not to the dead is of very extensive application and consequences in every country, and most especially in France. It enters into the resolution of the questions Whether the nation may change the descent of lands holden in tail? Whether they may change the appropriation of lands given...
Page 31 - The people exercise the law-making power with the assistance of the state legislature." The legislature is not the final law-making body. The voters are the supreme legislators. These two devices, the referendum and the initiative, are intended to establish, and do establish, government of the people, and by the people. They are of...
Page 57 - On the whole, the expenditures of Switzerland are much less than those of neighboring states. This may be ascribed in part to the lighter military burden, in part to the fact that no monarchs and courts must be supported, and further, to the inclinations of the Swiss people for practical rather than ornamental matters.
Page 9 - A proposal receiving more than ten votes must be placed on the list of expedient, accompanied by the opinion of the council. The rejected are placed under a special rubric, familiarly called by the people the Beiwagen. The assembly may reverse the action of the council if it chooses and take a measure out of the " extra-coach," but consideration of it is in that case deferred until the next year.
Page 16 - The plutocratic government and the Grand Council of Zurich, which had connived with the private banks and railroads, were pulled down in one great voting swoop. The people had grown tired of being beheaded by the officeholders after every election.
Page 86 - got at," the people cannot. The personal interest of the individual legislator in passing a measure for chartering banks or spending the internal improvement fund may be greater than his interest as one of the community in preventing bad laws. It will be otherwise with the bulk of the citizens. The legislator may be subjected by the advocates of...
Page 83 - ... the location of county lines, divisions of counties and like matters. Several western states leave it to a vote of the counties as to when they shall adopt a township organization, with town meetings. Several states permit their cities to decide when they shall also...
Page 34 - Council is in reality a supervisory committee, taking a hand in all the various operations of government, preparing matters for the larger assembly below it, and keeping an eye on the smaller committee above it. In the cantons where Optional Referendum is in vogue, the legislature will have the power to spend money below a specified limit; to enact laws of specified kinds, usually not of general application ; and to elect more important officials, the amount of discretion rising gradually till the...
Page 32 - Care is taken that only voters shall sit in the body of the assembly, it being a rule in Zurich that the register of citizens shall lie on the desk for inspection. Tellers are appointed by vote, and must be persons who do not belong to the village council, since that is the local cabinet which proposes measures for consideration. Any member of the assembly may offer motions or amendments, but usually these are brought forward by the town council, or at least referred to that body before being finally...