Knowra Swiss federalism Swiss federalism Swiss federalism divides public authority among the Swiss Confederation, 26 cantons, and municipalities. Cantons retain substantial autonomy while sharing national responsibilities through federal institutions.
Swiss Constitution : Switzerland’s supreme legal framework defines government institutions, fundamental rights, and the division of public powers. It assigns federal and cantonal responsibilities and sets the rules for changing that division.
Federalism : A system of government that constitutionally divides authority between a central government and constituent units. Swiss federalism is a distinctive national example of this broader constitutional arrangement.
Old Swiss Confederacy : A shifting alliance of Swiss territories that developed from the late Middle Ages until the creation of the modern state. Its tradition of local autonomy and alliance-building preceded the modern federal structure.
Unitary state : A state in which the central government holds ultimate constitutional authority over territorial units. Swiss cantons possess constitutionally protected powers unlike ordinary administrative divisions in a unitary state.
Cantons of Switzerland : The 26 constituent states of Switzerland, each with its own constitution, government, parliament, and courts. Cantons exercise powers not assigned to the Confederation and implement much federal law.
Confederation : A political union in which constituent states retain substantial sovereignty and delegate limited powers to common institutions. The country’s official name reflects a historical union, though modern Switzerland is a federal state.
Sonderbund War : The brief 1847 civil war between a coalition of Catholic cantons and the Swiss federal authorities. The conflict preceded the constitutional settlement that established the modern federal state.
Confederalism : A form of political organization in which sovereign states delegate limited powers to shared institutions. Modern Switzerland is a federation, despite the historical label “Confederation.”
Municipalities of Switzerland : Local government units in Switzerland whose powers and organization are determined chiefly by cantonal law. Municipalities form the local tier of authority beneath the cantons.
Direct democracy in Switzerland : Switzerland’s system of popular votes, initiatives, and referendums at federal, cantonal, and municipal levels. Popular participation operates alongside, and across, the federal division of authority.
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