SwitzerlandDemokratie und Föderalismus 13 · Democracy and federalism
What does the principle of collegiality (Kollegialitätsprinzip) in the Federal Council mean?
In the exam (German)
Was bedeutet das Kollegialitätsprinzip im Bundesrat?
- aEach member may campaign publicly against the Federal Council's decisions.Jedes Mitglied darf öffentlich gegen die Beschlüsse des Bundesrats Werbung machen.
- bThe President of the Confederation decides alone if the other members cannot agree.Der Bundespräsident entscheidet allein, wenn sich die anderen Mitglieder nicht einig sind.
- cEach member decides alone about their own department, without asking the others.Jedes Mitglied entscheidet allein über sein Departement, ohne die anderen zu fragen.
- dThe Federal Council decides together, and all members defend the decision in public.Der Bundesrat entscheidet gemeinsam, und alle Mitglieder vertreten den Entscheid nach aussen.Correct answer
Why?
The Federal Council takes its decisions as a collective body (Art. 177 of the Federal Constitution). Even a member who held a different opinion during the discussion defends the joint decision in public.
Translated with AI. In the exam the question is in German, as shown above.
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Source
Our own practice questions on the facts of the Federal Constitution and the official information of the Confederation and the cantons of Zurich, Aargau and Bern. They are not the questions of the cantonal tests, and no wording from the cantonal question catalogues has been reused. Each question was written, answered blind and fact-checked in separate rounds. The English translation and the explanations are ours, made with AI; in the test the questions are in German. We are not affiliated with the Confederation, the cantons or the communes.
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