Swiss Government :: essays research papers

Switzerland is a decentralized federal body politic composed of 20 cantons and six half cantons. These in turn are divided into communes. Legislative power is the responsibility of the dual-sleeping accommodation federal official 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. all(prenominal) sends two representatives, but the mode of their election and the terms of their service seem on the righteousnesss 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 whiz year. The presidents powers are therefore extremely limited. Women did not attain suffrage until 1971. temporary hookup men in one of the half cantons continu ed to reject proposals to go out women the right to vote on local matters, the nations high court in 1990 ordered them to grant women the right. In the 16th century Switzerland was the focus of the Protestant Reformation, and the cantons split along unearthly lines. One of the greatest political and religious leaders of the Reformation was John Calvin. His success lay in his unique ability to combine extreme political convictions with administrative talent. Calvin made very much of Switzerland a tower of Protestant strength. Both civil and secular law were dominated by Calvins preachings. 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 ext cease civil war with their Roman Catholic neighbors (see Calvin Zwingli). Switzerlands secession from the Holy Roman Empire was recognized by the treaty of Westphali a, which followed the Thirty Years War early in the 17th century. The desire for independence ultimately overshadowed religious conflict, and the new state soon regained political stability. in that location 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.