The State in Switzerland

The Swiss Confederation is a democratic, federal state governed by the rule of law. Its basic structure is set out in the Federal Constitution (Bundesverfassung). The Confederation is responsible for tasks assigned to it by the constitution. These include nationwide matters, while other responsibilities lie mainly with the cantons or municipalities. The cantons are constituent states with extensive autonomy. They have their own constitutions and organise, among other things, many areas of education, policing, healthcare and administration. Municipalities form the local level. Depending on the canton, they may be responsible for local infrastructure, resident services, schools or social services, for example. The separation of powers distributes state authority among parliament, government and the courts. These branches make rules, implement them and decide disputes without all power resting in a single place. At the federal level, the Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) is the parliament and the Federal Council (Bundesrat) is the government. The Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgericht) is the Confederation’s highest court, while cantons have their own court systems. The rule of law binds authorities to laws and procedures. People have fundamental rights and, under the prescribed conditions, can seek a review of government decisions. The federal structure allows decisions to be made close to the population and leaves room for regional differences. It can, however, make responsibilities difficult to understand. For a particular matter, first establish which level of government is responsible.