2.4 Switzerland: Political system
Description
This article is from the Switzerland FAQ, by Marc Schaefer schaefer@alphanet.ch with numerous contributions by others.
2.4 Switzerland: Political system
The political system is mainly composed of three levels: the communal
(city), the state (Cantonal) level and the federal level. At all
levels, the voters have the right of active participation through
elections, petition, initiative and referendum, and of course by
running for public office.
- voters: the people who can elect people. It should be noted that the
participation rate is usually very low (about 33%, except for
the canton SH, where the rate is usually about 65% because any
voter not voting pays a fee of 3 CHF per missed voting date,
if not excused.)
- eligible: the people who can be elected for public office
- petition: non-binding request for legislative action through signatures.
- initiative: proposition from a group of voters which becomes a law
if there are enough people signing it and it passes the
vote (majority of people FOR it. Note that at the
federal level, the double majority of citizens and Cantons is
necessary, because it only allows currently Constitutional
changes; in the now proposed reform, however, the initiative
for laws would be allowed at the federal level).
- referendum: popular vote on a bill that has been passed by a legislative
corpus (federal level: Federal Assembly).
A fixed number of signatures (at federal level: 50,000)
is required to request a (facultative (== non compulsory)
referendum on an ordinary law.
Constitutional changes, international treaties, or executive
emergency decrees are followed by a compulsory referendum
vote.
Some Cantons require a referendum vote for expenditures
exceeding a certain amount.
The law/constitutional change/treaty/budget item comes into
effect if a simple majority of voters approve it.
Note: There are no non-binding, informative referendums in
Switzerland.
There is also an administrative entity called a district (county) and
the rough concept of a region.
Public officials face re-election every four years. There
are usually 4 to 6 ballots a year on multiple subjects (mainly
referendums) and elections, on all levels.
Women and men have equal rights, as guaranteed by the Constitution.
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