MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

What I'd like to explore one day is the electoral/political system in Switzerland, which I believe is quite different from both the US and Australian systems. Does anyone want to do that with me?

 

[LozzyR]

What I'd like to explore one day is the electoral/political system in Switzerland, which I believe is quite different from both the US and Australian systems. Does anyone want to do that with me?

That, and maybe Finland.

 

[MaryJanet]

Let's do Finland first. So far I don't have a single fact to share, but I'll be back with a couple.

Eta: i haven't even finished the first paragraph on Wikipedia and I'm already hooked. A functional head of state, with actual political responsibilities?? *And* a prime minister who heads the government??

 

[RoyalChick]

Let's do Finland first. So far I don't have a single fact to share, but I'll be back with a couple.

And you should read the summary of both Finland and Switzerland relative to the countries you know in that Economist democracy report I posted.

 

[Ribh]

I don't have time to research right now but I will be interested to read what you have to say.

 

[Ribh]

What I'd like to explore one day is the electoral/political system in Switzerland, which I believe is quite different from both the US and Australian systems. Does anyone want to do that with me?

What I do know about Switzerland is that military training is compulsory for every man of military age for so many weeks a year ~ & this is a nation with no standing army. Or they didn't last time I checked. Plus ~ & this astounds me when you consider American gun laws, these military weapons are kept in homes & the man is responsible for their upkeep. I've seen this in action & for a neutral country they are frightening. Oh ~ & they can blow up all their mountain passes @ a moment's notice effectively sealling the country off.

 

[MaryJanet]

And you should read the summary of both Finland and Switzerland relative to the countries you know in that Economist democracy report I posted.

Looking at the 2021 scores, Finland scored second highest in its region. Only Norway scored higher.

Norway 9.75 (also the highest score in the world)
Finland 9.27 (third highest in the world, followed closely by Sweden)

Points of reference for Aussies and Americans:

Australia 8.9
New Zealand 9.37 was the best in our region (and second highest in the world)

US 7.85
Canada 8.87 was best in your region

Shed a tear for any babies with such tragically and epically bad luck as to have been born in Afghanistan 0.32. Myanmar is also giving me the horrors at 1.02.

 

[RoyalChick]

Looking at the 2021 scores, Finland scored second highest in its region. Only Norway scored higher.

Norway 9.75 (also the highest score in the world)
Finland 9.27 (third highest in the world, followed closely by Sweden)

Points of reference for Aussies and Americans:

Australia 8.9
New Zealand 9.37 was the best in our region (and second highest in the world)

US 7.85
Canada 8.87 was best in your region

Shed a tear for any babies with such tragically and epically bad luck as to have been born in Afghanistan 0.32. Myanmar is also giving me the horrors at 1.02.

I haven't looked at the 2022 report but I had cause to look into it in depth a couple of years ago and I thought the criteria were very interesting and well thought through. It is the world's most definitive measurement of democracy and widely respected (though of course everything has its detractors!).
I don't see the the criteria in detail in the Wikipedia summary - but for example a few years ago the US was downgraded because of eroding trust in institutions which I think is an interesting metric.

 

[MaryJanet]

I haven't looked at the 2022 report but I had cause to look into it in depth a couple of years ago and I thought the criteria were very interesting and well thought through. It is the world's most definitive measurement of democracy and widely respected (though of course everything has its detractors!).
I don't see the the criteria in detail in the Wikipedia summary - but for example a few years ago the US was downgraded because of eroding trust in institutions which I think is an interesting metric.

What leads you to hold that view? I ask because to me it seems trust in institutions is a feature of democracy, but I have no meaningful expertise.

 

[MaryJanet]

For me, the interesting question in the data is how on earth is NZ higher than Finland when Kiwis don't get to elect their head of state, the Queen?