This volume considers the legislative turnover in the cantonal parliaments of Switzerland. For the first time the legislative turnover in the cantons was empirically analysed over a period from 1960 to 2012, and research was conducted on motives and reasons for leaving a cantonal legislature. Four categories of retirement from a cantonal parliament are distinguished: resignation at the end of a legislature, leaving the legislature voluntarily, non reelection, and death. The study is divided into three parts. The first part provides a descriptive analysis of the legislative turnover for the period from 1990 to 2012. The second part - using a multilevel analysis - searches for factors on the macro level that influence the resignation of a member of a cantonal parliament for the period between 1960 and 2012. Based on a survey conducted among members of parliament, the third part of the study aimed at validating these factors of influence.