Wirtschaftsgeschichte der Schweiz im 20. Jahrhundert

Basic work on the economic development of Switzerland. Throughout the entire 20th century, Switzerland was one of the countries with a particularly high level of prosperity. The conditions for this continuing success are presented in a broad-based study in an international comparison, showing periods in which the lead over other countries was extended, maintained, or reduced. This raises the question of the Swiss "special path" anew. Based on new quantitative estimates, the first part analyzes the determinants of prosperity, growth, and the business cycle. An important aspect is the dependence on foreign markets; special emphasis is also placed on demographic development, which is strongly influenced by immigration, and the importance of research policy and education for growth and innovation. Part 2 describes the economic development process at the level of sectors, industries, and companies. Central to this is the dual structure typical of small, open economies, with sectors that are highly interwoven internationally on one hand and primarily oriented towards the domestic market on the other, as well as the special conditions that favored the emergence of an internationally significant financial center. The third part focuses on the participation of the various population groups and parts of the country in the growing prosperity and consumption, as well as the associated costs of environmental use. Finally, parts 4 and 5 deal with the institutions that shaped economic and social relations both at home and abroad, with the corresponding control mechanisms and regulations, and with the influence of changing foreign economic regimes and domestic political power relations on the scope for action of economic policy. The joint project is sponsored by the Swiss Society for Economic and Social Research.