Curiosities Of The 10 Oldest Democratic Governments

Federal Palace of Switzerland. Photo by Mike Switzerland.

Since 1848, Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system.

Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, the canton, and the federal levels.

The Swiss Constitutions of 1848 and 1999 define a system of direct democracy, sometimes called semi-direct or representative direct democracy because it is supported by the more common institutions of representative democracy. The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights, include the right to present a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which can overturn parliamentary decisions.