ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the foundation of Swiss social insurance around 1900, a period that witnessed both heated debates about the “social question” as well as the emergence of business interest associations. It shows that differentiated perception of interests, ideological stance and influence of political context interacted to shape employers’ stance towards social policy. The enduring weakness of the Swiss political left, divisions among labor unions and the fact that the executive and legislative branch of the federal government maintained a consistent pro-business political majority favored business interests. The chapter analyzes the emergence and consolidation of the public-private configurations that gave Switzerland its distinctive traits in the long term. By 1900, Switzerland figured among the richest and most industrialized countries of western Europe and faced the emergence of social risks linked to industrialization and generalized salaried work. The chapter covers the post-war growth and crisis decades of the second half of the 20th century.
