This in-depth study of the decision-making processes of the early 2000s shows that the Swiss consensus democracy has changed considerably. Power relations have transformed, conflict has increased, coalitions have become more unstable and outputs less predictable. Yet these challenges to consensus politics provide opportunities for innovation.

Autorentext
Pascal Sciarini is Professor of Swiss and Comparative Politics at the Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Manuel Fischer is Researcher at the Department of Environmental Social Sciences at Eawag, Dübendorf, and lecturer at the Institute of Political Science, University of Bern, Switzerland.

Denise Traber is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Political Science, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Inhalt
List Of Tables And Figures Introduction; Pascal Sciarini 1. From Corporatism To Bureaucratic And Partisan Politics: Changes In Decision-Making Processes Over Time; Pascal Sciarini 2. More Power Balance, Less Consensus: Changes In Decision-Making Structures Over Time; Pascal Sciarini 3. Looking Beneath The Surface: Differences In Decision-Making Structures Across Processes; Manuel Fischer 4. Dominance, Competition, Compromise Or Consensus? Explaining Decision-Making Structures; Manuel Fischer 5. Coalition Formation In Parliament And During The Policy Process; Manuel Fischer And Denise Traber 6. Europeanization, Institutional Changes And Differential Empowerment; Manuel Fischer, Pascal Sciarini, And Denise Traber 7. 'Going Public': The Mediatization Of Decision-Making Processes; Manuel Fischer And Pascal Sciarini 8. Who Is Influential And Why? The Determinants Of Reputational Power; Manuel Fischer And Pascal Sciarini 9. Who Is Successful And Who Is Not? Actors' Satisfaction With The Policy Output; Denise Traber 10. Reactive, Slow And Innovative? Decision-Making Structures And Policy Outputs; Manuel Fischer Conclusion; Pascal Sciarini Appendix References