| Subject: I love Politics |
Author:
Bill Clinton
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 11/ 4/02 10:49am
In John Kingdons' book, America the Unusual, he speaks about how there are many liberal democracies in the world today, but how from a case to case study two countries calling themselves liberal democracies can have many different structures. He explains how it is not unusual at all to find that two liberal democracies have different political institutions and what the fundamental powers of each instituion has. Switzerland, for example is a country that calls itself a liberal democracy, though there are some differences int he way their government and ours is set up.
Switzerland is a federation of twenty cantons and six half-cantons, a canton being the name for a political divisison. The fedral government is allocated specific powers by the constituiton and the rest is left with the cantons, each having its own constitution, assembly, and government. Direct democracy is encouraged through communal assemblies and referenda. Switzerlands constitution dates from 1784 and provides for a two-chamber Federal Assembly, consisting of a National Council and a Council of States. The National Council has 200 members, elected by universal adult suffrage, through a party list system of proportional representation, for a four year term. The Council of States hs 46 members, each canton electing two representatives and each half-canton one. Members of the Council of States are elected for three or four years, depending on the constitutions of the individual cantons. The federal government is int he hands of a Federal Council, consisting of seven members elected for a four-year term by the Assembly, and each heading a particular federal department. The Federal Assembly also appoints on emember to act as federal head of state and head of government for a year, the term of office beginning on January 1st.
There are currently more than 20 nationally-based political parties, the most significant being the Radical Democratic Party of Switzerland, the Swiss Social Democratic Party, the Christian Democratic Party of Switzerland, the Swiss People's Party, the Swiss Liberal Party, and the Green Party. The Radical Democratic Party of Switzerland led the movement which resulted in the creation of the Federative State of constitution of 1848 and has been an important force in Swiss politics ever since.
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 