GOVERNMENT. Tile Constitution of 1548, with the important revision of 1S74 and subsequent amendments of lesser importance, constitutes the present fundamental law of Switzerland. (For the methods of amending the Constitution, see REFERENDUM.) The Swiss State is composed of twenty-two cantons, with Bern as the capital. The Constitution vests the executive power in a Federal Council of seven members elected for a term of three years by the two Houses of the Fed eral Legislature. Any Swiss citizen who is eligi ble to either branch of the Federal Legislature may be chosen to the Federal Council, except that not more than one member may be chosen from the same canton. It is the custom to choose members of the Council from the membership of the Federal Legislature and to rei;lect them con tinually for a long period of time. The work of administration is divided into seven departments, and one member of the Council is put in charge of each department, but the act of any Councilor is considered to be the net of the Council as a whole. The Council is organized under a presi dent (President of the confederation) :Ind a vice president chosen by the Federal Legislature from among the Councilors to serve for a term of one year.
The powers and duties of the Federal Council are many and varied. In the domain of legisla tion it plays an important. part, although it hies no veto upon the acts of the legislature. In this domain the Council sustains a relation to the legislature somewhat like that of the Cabinet in the parliamentary system of government. It makes an elaborate report to the legislature, and although its members cannot at the seine time be members of the legislature. they have access to its sessions, take an active part in the delibera tions, introduce legislative proposals. give their opinions upon various measures, and exert a great influence upon the work of legislation. it pre the budget and advocates its adoption by the legislature, and takes the lead in the dis eussion of all important measures introduced by the Government. The Federal Council also has a wide power of action in judicial affairs. It has, for instance, the settlement of a large (lass of e1niiaistrativc controversies which in other Continental countries is intrusted s,c(. .0 special ad ministrative courts. It has a large supervi-ory power over the cantonal administration. particu larly when the cantons are engaged in admin istering federal law. In addition to the above mentioned functions the Council has the other powers usualky exercised by a nation's executive.
The strictly legislative powers of the Govern ment are vested in it Federal Assembly (Ihumb s versa/and/thy), consisting of two Douses. viz.
the National Council (=Valium:tot/ ) and the Council of Estates (N14m/crui). The two houses hold separate sessions in all legislative matters and joint sessions for the exercise of certain electoral.and judicial functions. There is full equality between the two llollees in a11 matters WhatSOever. The Council of Estates is composed of 44 members, or two from each canton. In three cantons which are divided. each half can ton chooses one member. The tenure, amount of compensation. qualifications. mode of election, and the relations which they bear to their constituents are matters which the Federal Constitution does nut regulate, but are left to the determination of each canton according to its own ideas with the result that the greatest. variety of provisions prevails. The terms of members vary from one to four years. The Connell of Estates elects its own president and vice-president under the limitation that neither office can be filled from a canton which furnished the president for the session preceding. The National Council. or popular chamber of the legislature, consists of members chosen by direct universal suffrage for a term of three years. The Federal Constitution apportions the members of the National Council according to population on the basis of one representative for every 20,000 inhabitants. In those districts which choose more than one representative the members are chosen on a general ticket. The Coun cil elects its own officers subject to the limitation that the president and vice-president must be chosen from the body of the Council and are in eligible to succeed themselves for an ensuing term. 'ihe president, in addition to Id: vote as a member, has a casting vote in case of a tie. The members of the National Council receive a compensation from the Federal treasury. The Federa I Assembly 1101(1S two regular sessions annually, beginning in June and December. each lasting about one month. The discussions take place in French. German. or Italian, according to the convenience of Die speakers, while all formal readings occur in both French and German. The two Chamber: meet jointly to settle eontlicts of jurisdiction between the federal authorities: to grant pardons: and to elect the Federal Connell. the Supreme Court, the Chancellor. and the com mander of the army. The ordinary legislative power of the Federal Assembly is very \vide and extends to many subjects whirl) in the Vnitod States are left to the regulation of the States.