Switzerland Assessment
The Swiss Confederation is the oldest neutral country in the world. In fact “it has not fought a foreign war since its neutrality was established by the Treaty of Paris in 1815 (Schett 2012)”. Winston Churchill said during World War II, “Of all the neutrals, Switzerland has the greatest right to distinction…What does it matter whether she has been able to give us the commercial advantage we desire or has given too many to the Germans? She has been a democratic state, standing for freedom in self-defense…and largely on our side.” Many Europeans would also conclude, “the most powerful and important (country) in the world is Switzerland (A.K. 2013)”. Switzerland’s government, which strongly resembles a federal republic, has been very successful both in their social indicators and their economic performance.
Switzerland is a standout country in Europe, especially compared to the economic and social demographic crisis’s that most countries are currently facing. They boast one of the lowest unemployment rates estimated around 2.9% for 2013. A highly skilled labor force also stands behind this strong economy. Instead of the popular Euro, Switzerland uses the Franc, which unfortunately slows down Swiss exports due to its high expense. Overall, with a score of 81.6, Switzerland is ranked 4th in the world and 1st in the region for their economic freedom score. The economic freedom score measures and calculates based on population, GDP, inflation, business, trade, FDI, and corruption.
The country has many positive trends in their social development. The future looks brighter for Switzerland than some others in the region with a current median age around 41.8 years and a population growth rate at .85%. With aging popul...
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... controversy outside of the country.
In conclusion, Switzerland is a very strong state. Their economy has stood strong through the tests of time. Neutrality is a founding belief that guides many of the Swiss decisions. Like any large and independently strong country, Switzerland is not immune to controversy. Many of the issues surrounding other countries in the region also affect Switzerland such as immigration, aging population, and slowing economies. With proper planning, strong foundation, and good foresight Switzerland has managed to fare much better than most countries in Europe. They boast one on the lowest unemployment rates and one of the strongest economies. Overall, Switzerland is a strong country that has remained successful in their social indicators and their economic performance through the guiding hands of their strong federal republic government.
During the course of this paper, we hope to give the reader a better understanding of the economic forces at play that influence this Nation's GDP, in therefore its economic health.
An aging population is indeed a problem for the society and will possibly cause many social and economic difficulties in the future. According to David Foot (2003), professor of Economics at University of Toronto, an effective birth rate of 2.2% against current 1.75% will be necessary to replace the current work force in the near future and the government’s policy of bringing in more immigrants will eventually fail (Foot, 2003, 2). However some people predict that the increased size of an aging population will drive growth in the home, health care, and many other industries resulting in job creation and economic growth (Marketwire, 2013, 1). Majority of the people are of the opinion that the issue will be mainly in the health care and economic activity. As humans age, they start to develop health problems, leading to more visits to a medical clinic putting extra burden on health care system.
Capitalism is known as a very laissez-faire system, or one where the government makes no interference. Throughout the years, many countries have adopted this form of economy in order to have the people’s say in it. Without interference from the government, there is more freedom and less risk of the government messing the ec...
Hooyman, N., & Kiyak, H. A. (2011). Social gerontology: A multidisciplinary perspective (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (Original work published 2005)
The existing U.S. population is over 315 million and rising. In the year 2030, 72 million Americans will be 65 or older, a 50 percent change in age demographics since the year 2000. The change is primarily due to the aging baby boomers, who were born at the end of World War II. Americans are living longer than ever befo...
Uhlenberg, Peter. 1992. “Population Aging and Social Policy.” Annual Review, Sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
This paper takes a brief look at these three factors and how they will effect Switzerland's future economic growth and the country's well being.
McConatha, J. T., Schnell, F., Volkwein, K., Riley, L., & Leach, E. (2003). Attitudes toward aging: a comparative analysis of young adults from the United States and Germany. International Journal Of Aging & Human Development, 57(3), 203–215.
In order to assess the current state of the economy, the examination of important economic indicators or variables has always played a vital role in the understanding of the complex economic systems we live in. The analysis of these economic variables studied by many, not only has served as a tool to evaluate the current economic performance of a country, but also has allowed experts to envisage and continue the pavement of an economy's road. Currently, some economic variables have had favorable improvements indicating a general good outlook for the economy for the following months, requiring a further individual analysis and comparisons in order to foresee crisis or successes.
Despite its beautiful scenery, its plentiful natural resources, and its extraordinary tradition of hospitality, Albania has always been “the most isolated country in Europe and from World War II until very recently, one of the most isolated countries on earth” (“Real Adventures – Albania” 1). Amongst the booming economies of Europe, Albania is markedly poor, and is trying to make the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. In addition, the government is taking steps to encourage economic growth as well as trade. Albania, according to 2003 estimates, “has a GDP of $16.13 billion, with a per capita GDP of $4,500” (“Albania – CIA Factbook” 2). This is an improvement over the Cold War era, in which Albania’s economy was a complete disaster – still, however, Albania’s economy is considerably weak compared to its European neighbors.
This essay will describe the characteristics of the modern nation-state, explain how the United States fits the criteria of and functions as a modern nation-state, discuss the European Union as a transnational entity, analyze how nation-states and transnational entities engage in foreign policy to achieve their interests, and the consequences of this interaction for international politics. Some of the characteristics that make up a modern nation-state are: the population of the territory is united in the national identity and traditions, has an official language or languages and common descent, has an organized government, shall have independence and sovereign (self-ruled), and has a defined territory and/or borders. An example of a modern nation-state is Egypt. Egypt’s identity is closely tied to its location and its long history.
The country being a representative democracy is headed by Grand Duke Henri. Luxembourg has a very developed and advanced economy, ranking as one of the world’s highest Gross Domestic Product per capita. Luxembourg is made up of a high income market economy with growth, low inflation, and high levels of innovation. The domestic market is relatively small, but the countries financial center is mainly international.
All the data for this report was taken from the leading provider of high quality statistics on Europe - Eurostat. Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union situated in Luxembourg. Its task is to provide the European Union with statistics at European level that enable comparisons between countries and regions (Eurostat).
Aged care is becoming such a huge part of our health system and society in general. It is so important that we come to an understanding on not only how it affects the community and society that we live in but the requirements that need to be met in order to care for older adults. Throughout this paper, we will discuss active ageing and the cultural, physical, economic and social well-being of older adults, as well as the affect that community as on the older population and visa-vasa. Accompanying this essay is a flyer that well be used to define active ageing, why it is important to individuals and the community. It is important to understand what active ageing is and that health is measured by more than just physical
In order to answer the question concerning the formation of states, it is necessary to clarify what constitutes a state; the Oxford English Dictionary defines a state as ‘a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government’. There are a number of ways and processes in which to analyse what state formation is, why they have formed and the way in which this has occurred. State emergence can be traced back to the creation of territorial boundaries in medieval Europe, such as the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, and its transition to a modern state can be attributed to the introduction of gunpowder in war (Hague & Harrop, 2010: 64). The formations of states have also been influenced by the growth of bureaucracy, administration and organisations. There are different theories as to the reason why states form, a certain few of which can be divided into the categories of rationalist, culturalist and structuralist perspectives. In this essay, these perspectives shall enter the debate in trying to justify the reason for state formation and the way in which it occurs. The most prominent feature in the formation of states appears to be the prevention and engagement of a state in war and its following consequences.