Switzerland's Policy Research Articles

Tensions during the implementation of integration policy in Switzerland: The challenges surrounding “fast and sustainable” integration.

Tensions during the implementation of integration policy in Switzerland: The challenges surrounding “fast and sustainable” integration.

From Research to Policy: Unveiling Dementia Prevention Efforts in Switzerland

ABSTRACT Recent research has challenged the notion that dementia is an inevitable outcome of age-related cognitive decline, highlighting the possibility of preventing or delaying onset by addressing specific risk factors. This paradigm shift suggests that prevention through lifestyle modifications and early interventions is possible, potentially averting millions of cases worldwide. This study explores the translation of scientific evidence on dementia prevention into public health policy in Switzerland. Combining the analysis of official policy documents and qualitative interviews with stakeholders, the study explores potential barriers and challenges to implementing preventive intervenions or programs, as well as opportunities for improvement. Results indicate a significant gap in incorporating emerging scientific evidence on dementia prevention into health policies and disseminating information to the public in Switzerland. This study underscores the need for a collaborative and coordinated approach to address these barriers and effectively translate scientific findings into preventive policies and campaigns. These insights can inform policy and targeted programs in Switzerland both at the federal and the cantonal level, eventually serving as a model for other countries seeking to translate evidence-based dementia prevention strategies into public health policies. By bridging the gap between research and policy, significant progress can be made in preventing or delaying the onset of dementia, providing significant benefits to individuals, families, and society.

A Tamed Transformation. Debating Digitalisation in Research and Higher Education Policy in Switzerland, 1998–2020

Abstract In this article, I investigate the discursive field of the digital transformation of higher education and research policy in Switzerland. The qualitative analysis of political strategies and documents shows that actors in this policy field use open, ambiguous terms to characterise digitalisation. By building on this discursive strategy, the political actors aim not only to reduce uncertainty about the digital transformation as a complex phenomenon but also to build political consensus about the future development of this discursive field.

Blood, sweat, and cannabis: real-world policy evaluation of controversial issues

ABSTRACT The motivation of this article is to address the ambivalent position of policy analysis when it intervenes in the real-world policy process through policy evaluation. It tackles the underresearched question of the challenges faced by policy analysis in relation to applied research mandates. It argues that policy analysis is constantly at risk of instrumentalisation by politico-administrative players. The article is based on the evaluation of the medical cannabis policy in Switzerland as a case study. The results point out four specific challenges faced by applied policy analysis: political pressure, scientific integrity, access to sensitive data, and epistemic legitimacy. However, applied policy analysis can contribute to de-escalating controversies by presenting a bigger and contextualised picture of the considered political issues. Policy evaluation can identify deficient implementation processes, but also wider mismatches among legislative and societal processes. Hence, although evidence is subordinated to other factors in the decision-making process, evaluations provide an outside perspective, which can help solving controversies around policies. The article contributes to the literature on the politics of policy analysis by showing that confronting policy analysis with practical problems brings both scientific and policy benefits.

Intimate Partner Violence and the Complexity Turn. The Multiple Conceptions of Gender in IPV Policy in Switzerland

Abstract Based on socio-historical research of domestic violence treatment in the cantons of Vaud and Geneva, this article analyses how the co-presence of many actors and approaches has affected the definition of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Switzerland. IPV policies centred on gender and then reframed to define violence as a complex issue. We show what the consequences of framing complexity for policy are.

A Moral Entrepreneur in the Land of Consensus: Making School Policy in Switzerland

Abstract This article examines the way in which political decisions on schooling are made, with the double constraint of a search for consensus, anchored in Swiss politics, and the presence of moral entrepreneurs (Becker, 1985).We analyse the tensions that this creates in the design of a reform of lower secondary education and the forms that the conflict takes. The analyses show an over-politicisation of educational issues, exacerbating the divisions between policy actors.

Acceptance of meat reduction policies in Switzerland

The aim of this study was to analyze the acceptance of different policy measures affecting meat consumption in Switzerland. We conducted qualitative interviews with leading stakeholders and elaborated 37 policy measures for reducing meat consumption. In a standardized survey, we analyzed the acceptance of these measures and important preconditions for their implementation. Measures with potentially the biggest direct leverage, such as a VAT increase on meat products, were highly rejected. We found high levels of acceptance for measures that do not directly affect meat consumption but have the potential for significant changes of meat consumption in the longer run- such as research investment and sustainable diet education. Furthermore, some measures with considerable short-term effects were widely accepted (e.g., stricter animal welfare standards, ban of meat advertisements). These measures could be a promising starting point for policy makers aiming at a transformation of the food system toward lower levels of meat consumption.

Consumer alcohol policies in Switzerland: A case study of Migros supermarket group.

In June 2022, the Migros supermarket group in Switzerland declared the results of its referendum on the prospect of selling alcohol. Nationwide, individual members of the Federation of Regional Cooperatives that own the store had voted "No" to alcohol sales, thus continuing a philosophy that was implemented with its founding in the 1920s. As one of the biggest supermarket and convenience store chains in Switzerland, Migros is atypical in Western Europe for its alcohol-free consumer stance. However, this is complicated by the company selling alcohol in several of its retail subsidiaries and its stocking of alcohol-free beverages in own-brand shops. As such, Migros offers a distinctive and underexamined case study for wider drug policies and principles of prevention and harm reduction. This is especially notable within the framework of Switzerland's well-documented "four pillar" approach to substance use. Accordingly, in this article, we discuss the context of Migros' decision, issues raised by the referendum, and the significance of this consumer policy within Swiss society.

Examining the use of digital technology in schools with a school-wide approach to personalized learning

A growing number of schools have recently been changing their culture of teaching and learning towards personalized learning. Our study investigates how schools use digital technology to facilitate and promote personalized practices. Based on the answers of a student questionnaire from 31 lower-secondary schools with a personalized learning policy in Switzerland, we selected the three cases with the most frequent use of digital technology in the classroom. Using key categories of digital technology implementation to frame the analysis, we examined the differences and similarities regarding the contribution of digital technology to fostering personalized learning. A systematization of our analyses resulted in three different types in terms of how schools integrate digital tools into their daily practices: 1. selective use of digital technology according to individual teacher preference; 2. selective use of digital technology according to individual student preference; and 3. structural use of digital technology in accordance with a school-wide strategy. The findings provide indications for future research and practice with respect to an implementation of personalized learning that takes full advantage of digital technology.

Bureaucratic entrepreneurship and morality politics: Dividing lines within the state

AbstractBased on a qualitative and quantitative research design, this article examines the implementation of a morality policy – the medical cannabis policy in Switzerland – to investigate three understudied aspects of bureaucratic entrepreneurship. First, moving away from mono‐professional studies, the focus is on a policy characterized by a dispute between two groups of bureaucrats: physicians and jurists. Second, key conditions triggering bureaucratic policy entrepreneurship are identified, with a focus on mid‐level administrative entrepreneurs. Third, vertical alliances between bureaucrats and politicians of the executive and legislative branches are examined and these processes are reflected in the wider perspective of the politics‐administration dichotomy. Results show that law obsolescence, disputes between groups of bureaucrats and the need for political arbitration are favourable conditions for bureaucratic policy entrepreneurship. The study also shows that within the traditional separation of powers, bureaucratic entrepreneurship reinforces the executive power and creates dividing lines within the different branches of government.

Serving quarreling masters: Frontline workers and policy implementation under pressure

AbstractHow do frontline workers implement policy when it is politically contested and they face strong pressure from politicians and the media? Based on original data and a multi‐method analysis of juvenile justice policy and child protection policy in Switzerland, we show that political conflict can change policy implementation when frontline workers adapt their implementation practices in response to political and media pressure. We demonstrate that frontline workers seek to limit the influence of political pressure on policy implementation to safeguard their professional autonomy and reputation. However, we observe that they may also occasionally engage in what we call “blame‐avoiding policy implementation.” While formally complying with the policy mandate, frontline workers exploit their street‐level discretion to make policy implementation less scandal‐prone and blameworthy, thereby lowering the likelihood of blame attacks. The findings have important implications for our understanding of policy implementation and the functioning of bureaucracy in more conflictual times.

How wastewater informs COVID-19 policy in Switzerland

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread clinical testing was unavailable in Switzerland. Researchers developed a robust, reproducible, and reliable method of accurately tracking SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome fragments in wastewater.

Digital Practices of Negotiation: Social Workers at the Intersection of Migration and Social Policies in Switzerland and Belgium

AbstractPaperwork has always been a central part of bureaucratic work. Over the last few years, bureaucratic procedures have become increasingly standardised and digitalised. Based on interviews and ethnographic fieldwork within welfare offices in Switzerland and Belgium, we reflect on the way evidence is constructed within social policy and cases built for or against noncitizen welfare recipients in order to show how paper truths are established and challenged. The focus on digital practices within public policy implementation highlights how it contributes to enhanced control mechanisms on the implementation level and how migration law continues to guide welfare governance for noncitizens. This allows targeting of the most marginalised groups, whose rights to access state support are institutionally impeded. Through database information flows, official forms, paper reports and face-to-face meetings, we further show how a hybrid form of bureaucratic work emerges, where direct contact with the client is still key, yet highly influenced by standardisation processes.

Does voluntary cooperation in member state implementation require top‐down steering? The case of regional policy in Switzerland

AbstractThis article studies the institutional conditions that facilitate voluntary member state cooperation in the implementation of regional development policy in Switzerland. Cooperation is crucial for the implementation of regional development policies given that functional perimeters do generally not coincide with institutional borders. Research on the governance of horizontal interorganizational cooperation often focuses on local entities and institutionalized networks, we examine the voluntary cooperation of higher‐tier subnational entities. We apply the institutional collective action framework to the implementation of a regional policy in highly federalist Switzerland where subnational entities have considerable discretionary power. The empirical analysis of comprehensive data on implemented development projects and a survey of all responsible subnational actors show that cooperation between higher‐tier subnational entities faces strong institutional constraints. We conclude that more top‐down guidance is necessary when horizontal cooperation is a condition for policy success.

Acceptance of Meat Reduction Policies in Switzerland

Acceptance of Meat Reduction Policies in Switzerland

Book Review: Michela Minesso (ed.): Welfare Policies is Swtizerland and Italy. Institutions, Motherhood, Family and Work in the 19th and 20th Centuries

Welfare Policies in Switzerland and Italy, edited by Michela Minesso, was published in 2021 by Peter Lang. The book comprises six studies, with a word from the editor at the beginning, and provides a broad overview of the whole system of Italian and Swiss welfare policies in the 19th and 20th centuries. The authors include Jean-Pierre Tabin, Brigitte Studer, Paolo Passaniti, Gianni Silei and Massimiliano Paniga, all eminent researchers in their fields. The studies in this volume provide insight into the development of family law, women’s rights and social rights in this period. It makes a very interesting reading for those interested in the subject.

How genomics is changing the practice of prenatal testing.

New genomic laboratory technology namely microarrays and high throughput sequencing (HTS) as well as a steady progress in sonographic image capture and processing have changed the practice of prenatal diagnosis during the last decade fundamentally. Pregnancies at high risk for common trisomies are reliably identified by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and expert sonography has greatly improved the assessment of the fetal phenotype. Preconceptional comprehensive carrier screening using HTS is available for all parents, if they should wish to do so. A definite fetal diagnosis, however, will still require invasive testing for most conditions. Chromosomal microarrays (CMA) have greatly enhanced the resolution in the detection of chromosome anomalies and other causal copy number variations (CNV). Gene panel or whole exome sequencing (WES) is becoming the routine follow up of many anomalies detected by ultrasound after CNVs have been excluded. The benefits and limitations of the various screening as well as diagnostic options are perceived as complex by many who find it challenging to cope with the need for immediate choices. The communication of facts to ensure an informed decision making is obviously a growing challenge with the advent of the new genomic testing options. This contribution provides an overview of the current practice and policies in Switzerland.

Globalisation and local economic development: Place-based and bottom-up public policies in Switzerland and Mexico

The XXI century has reached the end of its first 20 years. Along the years, it has posed complex challenges to economists and economic geographers. For example, the results of elections and consultations in different countries have shown a strong sympathy with political positions that question the benefits of free international flows of goods, services, labour and capital. By the same token, some academics argue that despite international economics theory clearly acknowledges that free trade causes winners and losers, the expected higher gains have not been effectively used to compensate the losers. This article explores the main challenges of international economic integration in sub-national territories in Switzerland and Mexico to better understand the importance of delivering relevant and competent public policies based on territorial specificity.

Can street-level bureaucrats be nudged to increase effectiveness in welfare policy?

This article investigates whether street-level bureaucrats can be incentivised to process information in ways that lead to more effective implementation decisions. It draws on the literatures on behavioural public policy (BPP) and street-level bureaucracy to analyse how civil servants implement disability insurance policy in Switzerland. We conducted a field experiment to assess whether a thought-provoking nudge improves the decisional effectiveness of street-level bureaucrats (SLBs). SLBs were assigned to either a ‘business-as-usual’ control condition, or to an experimental condition, where they were called to pay attention to vulnerability processes along the beneficiaries’ life course when making decisions. While we did not find that the thought-provoking nudge directly improved effectiveness, we found that it increased beneficiaries’ humanisation. In particular, there was some evidence for indirect positive effects of the thought-provoking nudge on effectiveness via humanisation. These findings encourage BPP researchers to consider additional dimensions such as humanisation to nudge SLBs into processing information in better ways.

Hepatitis C micro-elimination among people on opioid agonist therapy is a low-hanging fruit

People who use drugs are badly affected by chronic hepatitis C. As a result of the pragmatic national drug policy in Switzerland, the majority of persons with an opioid dependency are on opioid agonist therapy (OAT) and therefore in the healthcare system. For years, national guidelines have recommended that all OAT patients be regularly tested for hepatitis C and, if tested positive, referred for treatment.