ABSTRACT
Switzerland, a country of 8 million inhabitants in the middle of Europe, has been a federal state since 1848. Power is shared between the central state (the ‘Confederation’) and 26 regional states (the ‘cantons’). The distribution of power is highly decentralized. The Federal Constitution specifies the responsibilities attributed to the federal state. All other tasks are the cantons’ responsibility. Each canton has to assign responsibilities between itself and municipalities, except for some tasks that are explicitly assigned to municipalities by the Confederation. A far-reaching reform was undertaken in 2008, reducing the number of tasks assumed jointly by the Confederation and the cantons and therefore introducing a clearer separation of power.
