Abstract This study examines Swiss citizens' preferences for alternative political decision‐makers—independent experts, businesspeople, and ordinary citizens via referenda—relative to party politicians, and how these preferences, when combined with attitudes toward strong leadership, translate into voting orientations for the main Swiss parties. Using data from the 2023 Selects post‐election survey, our findings show that, contrary to crisis‐based interpretations, support for alternative decision‐makers is not rooted in anti‐system attitudes but reflects the pluralistic logic of Swiss institutions, characterized by direct democracy, collegial executive governance, and the militia principle. Moreover, expert‐oriented citizens are more inclined toward progressive parties, whereas direct democrats show a higher propensity to support the SVP. Support for strong leadership further reinforces this pattern, increasing the likelihood of voting for the SVP.
Rosco et al. (Sun,) studied this question.