Abstract
Looking back at the history of Switzerland, we can identify some structural changes in the economic, social and cultural environment, also in the spiritual perceptions and attitudes of citizens. These may constituted the basis for the creation of specific standards and played a crucial role in the political and economic course of the country. In this study we examine how institutions can explain the emergence and establishment of democracy in Switzerland. We investigate various aspects of human activity in Switzerland trend since the beginning of its emergence, in order to use the tool of macro-culture that includes shared values, norms and beliefs that characterize the members of a society. Important aspects in the country's history are opening trade passages, alliances, military tactics and religion. The standards and values spun from the above aspects were transferred gradually to the political field. Finally, it is highlighted that these values contributed decisively in forging a strong polity with robust elements of direct democracy.
Highlights
Switzerland is a country that has been fairly studied by researchers mainly because of its particular characteristics that no one can find in other places
The studies published to date mainly concern questions such as why a country with such characteristics is able to emerge and be sustained in world affairs [1,2], how to explain the harmonious coexistence of its citizens that carry different characteristics at language and religion [3,4], how direct democracy affects economic growth of Switzerland [5,6,7,8,9]
Switzerland has the privilege to be a passage of the main trade routes of the Alps
Summary
Switzerland is a country that has been fairly studied by researchers mainly because of its particular characteristics that no one can find in other places. The high GDP per capita, the use of direct democracy processes by the simultaneous presence of the federal system, the smooth coexistence of disparate linguistic and religious groups, the neutrality in wars, are some of the most important. The studies published to date mainly concern questions such as why a country with such characteristics is able to emerge and be sustained in world affairs [1,2], how to explain the harmonious coexistence of its citizens that carry different characteristics at language and religion [3,4], how direct democracy affects economic growth of Switzerland [5,6,7,8,9]. By the term institutional we mean institutions as North [10] defined: an enduring set of rules to ensure consistency of the social system, as the formal (business, syndicate unions, government bodies, local governments, schools), social structures (such as legal system, political system, language, money), informal institutions such convention rules, moral rules 2 , habits 3 , social values 4 (norms), cultural values (culture) and routines
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