[2] Referenda on the most important laws have been used since the 1848 constitution. Both were turned down: Moratorium Plus by a margin of 41.6% for and 58.4% opposed, and Electricity Without Nuclear by a margin of 33.7% for and 66.3% opposed. However, the SVP eventually retook both seats, in 2009 and 2015 respectively.
The first such initiative was undertaken in 1893, when voters decided against the wishes of the parliament and endorsed the prohibition of the killing of animals according to Jewish religious methods. Because the old constitution had become immethodical and difficult to understand, the new constitution coherently incorporated the multitude of amendments passed in the previous 125 years.

The Federal Council was instituted by the 1848 Federal Constitution as the "supreme executive and directorial authority of the Confederation". For any change in the constitution, a referendum is mandatory (mandatory referendum); for any change in a law, a referendum can be requested (optional referendum). They also vary considerably in population; many have only several hundred residents, while the commune of Zürich has more than 350,000 residents. The two chambers of parliament undertake legislative duties, and their sessions in parliament are open for citizens to attend. This role is assumed by the people, which acts as a guardian and can repeal any legislation or constitutional change. A thoroughly revised constitution, approved by three-fifths of voters, entered into force in 2000, though the changes were mainly formal, with little alteration to the structure of Switzerland’s government. Switzerland has avoided alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action. The presidency of the Federal Council rotates among the members annually, and each councillor presides over a federal department. In May 2011, due to the Fukushima accident in Japan, the Swiss government decided to abandon plans to build new nuclear reactors. In recent years, Switzerland has seen a gradual shift in the party landscape. Pierre Cormon, Swiss Politics for Complete Beginners], Editions Slatkine, 2014, sfn error: no target: CITEREFCormon2014 (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of members of the Swiss Federal Council, List of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation, Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland, http://www.politik-stat.ch/srw2011CH_de.html, List of cantonal executives of Switzerland, List of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Constitutional conventions of Switzerland, "Die Legislative ist ein Miliz-Parlament - SWI swissinfo.ch", "Appenzell Innerhoden [sic] enjoys 'pure democracy, "People's Party Gains Second Seat in Cabinet", "Switzerland Decides on Nuclear Phase-Out", Handbuch der Schweizer Politik / Manuel de la politique suisse, The political landscape of the present parliament depicted in a graph, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Politics_of_Switzerland&oldid=982153335, Articles lacking in-text citations from May 2016, Articles to be expanded from November 2017, History articles needing translation from French Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles scheduled for update tagging, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2020, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from April 2016, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles with unsourced statements from August 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The Information & Communications Sector is led by Vice-Chancellor André Simonazzi, this role also has expanded to become the official spokesman for the Federal Council in 2000. The Chancellery is divided into three distinct sectors. Decisions are made jointly. The Federal Council is made up of seven members, each of which heads a government department. The country has no major disputes in its bilateral relations. Switzerland’s constitution contains some 200 articles, which establish the rights and duties of the citizens and of the governing bodies.

Initiatives (that are of constitutional level) have to be accepted by a double majority of both the popular votes and a majority of the cantons, while counter-proposals may be of legislative level and hence require only simple majority. She was elected to the office on 11 December 2019. Mandatory quarantine for persons arriving in Switzerland: List of the states and areas with an increased risk of infection, Infoline for people travelling to Switzerland: +41 58 464 44 88, from 6am to 11pm. The federal legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the Federal Assembly, the National Council and the Council of States. Directly following the Federal Council meeting, a press conference is held in the Media Centre by the members of the Federal Council and the Federal Council spokesperson. For a referendum to pass, it must receive an overall majority both of the national vote and in a majority of the cantons. Together with seven other European nations, Switzerland leads the 2005 index on Freedom of the Press published by Reporters Without Borders (with a score 0.5 points, zero being the perfect score). Three political levels share power in Switzerland: the Confederation, the 26 cantons and over 2,250 communes.
Switzerland has a bicameral parliament called the Federal Assembly, which is composed by: The Federal Assembly convenes to elect the members of the Federal Council.

A thoroughly revised constitution, approved by three-fifths of voters, entered into force in 2000, though the changes were mainly formal, with little alteration to the structure of Switzerland’s government. The Federal Chancellor is the head of the Federal Chancellery, which acts as the general staff of the Federal Council. The country's five existing reactors will be allowed to continue operating, but will not be replaced at the end of their life span.