Staffing Levels in Swiss Government: Canton St. Gallen Measured AgainstFour English or Welsh Counties*

Abstract

This article examines the level of staffing in central administration, educational administration and land-use planning in a canton and its communes. It establishes that Swiss authorities employ substantially fewer staff than comparable units in the United Kingdom. A description of cantonal government suggests that it has more in common with central than with local government proper, and the effect on central administration of a strong elected executive, a limited committee system, and decentralization to communes is also discussed. A section on education describes how voluntary effort lightens the burden on the cantonal bureaucracy and how inter-cantonal cooperation has to take the place of federal supervision. A section on planning reveals the relationship between federal, cantonal, and communal authorities in a field recently subjected to federal legislation. Having discussed Switzerland as a unique “welfare society,” the article suggests that lay control, lack of uniformity, and local autonomy tend, in themselves, to promote economy in staffing.