Switzerland is a decentralized federal republic composed of 20 cantons and six half cantons. These in turn are divided into communes. Legislative power is the responsibility of the dual-chamber Federal Assembly. One chamber consists of 200 representatives chosen by the electorate for four-year terms. The other, which has 46 representatives, is selected directly by the cantons. Each sends two representatives, but the mode of their election and the terms of their service depend on the laws of the individual cantons.
Executive power is in the hands of the Federal Council, which is chosen by the assembly. The council consists of seven members elected for four-year terms, and they act as a cabinet. One of the members of the council is chosen as president but serves for only one year. The president’s powers are therefore extremely limited. Women did not attain suffrage until 1971. While men in one of the half cantons continued to reject proposals to allow women the right to vote on local matters, the nation’s high court in 1990 ordered them to grant women the right.
In the 16 th century Switzerland was the focus of the Protestant Reformation, and the cantons split along religious lines. One of the greatest political and religious leaders of the Reformation was John Calvin. His success lay in his extraordinary ability to combine extreme political convictions with administrative talent. Calvin made much of Switzerland a tower of Protestant strength. Both civil and secular law were dominated by Calvin’s preachings.
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His religious base was Geneva, but his ideas spread rapidly to Scotland, the Netherlands, and even to southern France. Another famous religious leader was Huldrych Zwingli, who preached in Zurich and led the Protestants in an extended civil war with their Roman Catholic neighbors (see Calvin; Zwingli).
Switzerland’s secession from the Holy Roman Empire was recognized by the Treaty of Westphalia, which followed the Thirty Years’ War early in the 17 th century. The desire for independence ultimately overshadowed religious conflict, and the new state soon regained political stability. There was an intellectual flourishing of literature and philosophy in centers like Geneva, Basel, Bern, and Zurich.
During the Napoleonic era that followed, Switzerland was occupied by the French, who imposed their institutions on the country. This all ended with the defeat of the French and the convening of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, which guaranteed Swiss neutrality for the foreseeable future. The desire for independence may have led ultimately to the Swiss focus on defense, which even today consumes significant expenditures of human and monetary resources. In the century that followed, the Swiss Confederation experienced growing prosperity. Of significance was the textile industry — wool, cotton, linen, and silk goods — which flourished in Zurich and Basel. The watch industry also had its beginnings at this time.
Switzerland remained neutral through the Franco-Prussian War and the two world wars. The country thus gained the respect of the world as a peaceful and tolerant nation. It has welcomed refugees from war and persecution, and its people have led world humanitarian and peace efforts. Originally the site of the League of Nations, Switzerland is currently one of several United Nations headquarters, though it is not a member. Switzerland has often been the site of prestigious international conferences.
While it refuses to join the European Union or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Switzerland has joined the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Council of Europe.
