ABSTRACT
This chapter sets out to give an overview of the developments of E-Government in Switzerland. It attempts to outline how the particular nature of Swiss democracy and governmental structure has facilitated the growth of a particularly Swiss form of E-Government. The chapter demonstrates that the development of E-Government is not homogeneous and that the prior formation of existing state structures, together with societal norms, has contributed towards a shaping effect upon the development of E-Government systems and upon their implementation. The chapter looks at Switzerland’s performance in various rankings of E-Government performance and seeks to explain those rankings, at least in part, by examining the innovative solutions that have been undertaken in the various institutions and agencies. The Swiss experience can, the authors conclude, offer a potential blueprint for application within the European Union.
