Switzerland - the political system

Switzerland.

The political system.

Switzerland has been a federal state since 1848.

Authority is shared between  the central state / the Confederation,  the 26 cantons / federal states, and  the 2352 communes / “Gemeinden”. https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/federal-council/political-system-of-switzerland/swiss-federalism.html https://www.ch.ch/en/swiss-federalism/

How Swiss citizens can make a law

https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html article 139. http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/02070/index.html

How Swiss citizens can voice disagreement with laws

https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html article 141. http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/02070/index.html

The Federal Assembly comprises 2 chambers:  The national council.  The council of states.

Both chambers have equal standing. https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html

Nationalrat = The national council. House of Representatives.  200 representatives of Swiss people.  Each canton and half-canton is entitled to at least 1 seat, even if its resident population is below the national average of 37,500.

https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html article 149.

Parties and seats in the national council from 1919 to 2011

http://www.psa.ac.uk/psa-communities/specialist-groups/parliaments-and-legislatures/blog/swiss-parliament-hybrid-system

Ständerat = Council of states. The Senate.  46 representatives.  20 cantons each send 2 representatives.  6 cantons each send 1 representative.

Obwalden, Nidwalden, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Land, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and Appenzell Innerrhoden.

https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html article 150.

Each of the 26 cantons / federal states has its own constitution, government and courts. The sovereignty of the cantons is guaranteed by Article 3 of the Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation according to which the cantons exercise “all rights that are not vested in the Confederation.�

Examples of tasks that cantons are responsible for: Education, hospitals, and police. https://www.ch.ch/en/swiss-federalism/ https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html

Around 1/5 of communes have their own parliaments.

4/5 of the communes reach their decisions in the directdemocratic forum of the communal assembly, in which all residents, who are entitled to vote, can participate. https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/federal-council/political-system-of-switzerland/swiss-federalism.html

Switzerland's government, the federal council, has 7 members. Each year, a different member of the government becomes president.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-political-system/29288762

Each of the 7 members of the Swiss government, the federal council, is elected for a term of 4 years by the 246 members of the Swiss parliament, i.e. 200 members from the House of Representatives and 46 members from the Senate. At re-election every 4 years - a couple of months after parliamentary elections - the 7 votes take place according to the order of seniority. In other words, whoever has been a minister for the longest, is up for election first.

In the first 2 rounds of the secret ballot vote, parliament members can vote for anyone they want – even for non-politicians who haven’t put themselves forward. After that, parliament members are not allowed to vote for any new names. Whoever in the 2nd or subsequent rounds gets fewer than 10 votes, drops out. If, in the 3rd or subsequent rounds, everyone gets at least 10 votes, the person with the fewest drops out.

The vote continues until a winning candidate has been elected. To be elected, a candidate needs an absolute majority. If all 246 parliamentarians turn up, this means that to be elected, a person needs to get at least 124 votes. https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html, article 174 and 175. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/cabinet-elections_how-will-new-ingredients-change--magic-formula--/41825058

Additional sources of inspiration https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/federal-council/political-system-of-switzerland.html http://www.parlament.ch/ http://www.politnetz.ch/ http://www.psa.ac.uk/psa-communities/specialist-groups/parliaments-and-legislatures/blog/swiss-parliament-hybrid-system http://smartmonitor.ch/ http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/switzerland-s-direct-democracy_how-the-swiss-political-system-works/30989120 http://www.vimentis.ch/