Comment by mFixman

There must be something more to Swiss efficiency than referenda. The article puts the case of the Jurassic question, which most of the Bernese government opposed but was ultimately gone to a referendum. In many other countries there would be nothing preventing the executive from just ignoring this question and never putting it to a referendum, even if that's the law.

In a way, lack of corruption and high level political participation are what makes the referenda work, not the other way around.