A method for manufacturing a switching element which has enough resistance to repeat switching operations and which can be miniaturized and have low power consumption, and a display device including the switching element are provided. The switching element includes a first electrode to which a constant potential is applied, a second electrode adjacent to the first electrode, and a third electrode over the first electrode with a spacer layer formed of a piezoelectric material interposed therebetween and provided across the second electrode such that there is a gap between the second electrode and the third electrode. A potential which is different from or approximately the same as a potential of the first electrode is applied to the third electrode to expand and contract the spacer layer, so that a contact state or a noncontact state between the second electrode and the third electrode can be selected.