ABSTRACT
Swiss and Austrian success can be measured in political as well as economic terms. Political leaders in both countries have fashioned policies that have left largely unquestioned the legitimacy of their political institutions and practices. In both societies symbols of widespread public disenchantment are rare. Political parties and, in the case of Switzerland, the institution of direct democracy continue as the unquestioned avenues for mass political participation. [...] New social movements and novel forms of politics, which have grown in importance elsewhere, are insignificant in Switzerland and Austria. [...] In short, Switzerland and Austria are remarkable stories of political success. (Katzenstein 1984: 20)
