By Anon
Chicago policemen and a suspect.
How do you keep a country united?
Austin in Texas is much wealthier than Palm Bay in Florida.
The District of Columbia is much wealthier than Mississippi.
In the USA, there is a very big gap between rich and poor areas.
In Switzerland, Zug and is the richest canton.
Kay writes about ‘solidarity’ – meaning mutual support.
Kay writes that in the USA “there is no explicit mechanism of redistribution of resources among states.”
However, “Switzerland makes transfers from richer to poorer cantons.”
Kay suggests that in countries such as the UK rural areas, and deprived urban communities, need more expenditure.
In Australia, a grants commission “attempts to parcel out central government funds on an objective basis to states and territories.”
Switzerland is the country to copy?
SWITZERLAND has its problems with EVIL.
Switzerland is not perfect but it is peaceful and prosperous.
Switzerland is divided up into cantons and towns (communes).
The central government controls foreign policy, defense, the railways and the mint.
If the central government brings in a new policy, a referendum can be held to vote it down.
There is a six-month period during which a referendum can be called by any person or group able to get 50,000 signatures on a petition.
The cantons and communes control economic policy, welfare policy, the police, education and so on.
Switzerland spends a lot on welfare and education but manages to keep taxes relatively low.
Cantons and large communes have referendums and ‘initiatives’. An ‘initiative’ is when an ordinary citizen proposes a new policy or law.
Main source: ISIL — The Swiss Cantonal System