SwitzerlandDemokratie und Föderalismus 15 · Democracy and federalism
How is the federal administration under the Federal Council (Bundesrat) organised?
In the exam (German)
Wie ist die Bundesverwaltung unter dem Bundesrat gegliedert?
- aInto four offices, one for each of Switzerland's national languagesIn vier Ämter, je eines für jede Landessprache der Schweiz
- bInto seven departments, each headed by a member of the Federal CouncilIn sieben Departemente, jedes geleitet von einem BundesratsmitgliedCorrect answer
- cInto 26 divisions, one for each of Switzerland's cantonsIn 26 Abteilungen, je eine für jeden Kanton der Schweiz
- dInto three ministries, all headed by the President of the ConfederationIn drei Ministerien, die alle vom Bundespräsidenten geleitet werden
Why?
The federal administration is made up of seven departments (Departemente), for example the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (in German: EDA). Each member of the Federal Council heads one of them.
Translated with AI. In the exam the question is in German, as shown above.
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Take a free mock examDemokratie und Föderalismus 16
According to the Constitution, what should the Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) take into account when electing the Federal Council?Correct answer:That the different parts of the country and the language regions are represented
Worauf soll die Bundesversammlung laut Verfassung bei der Wahl des Bundesrats Rücksicht nehmen? — Dass die Landesgegenden und Sprachregionen vertreten sind
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Who can be elected to the Federal Council (Bundesrat)?Correct answer:Any Swiss citizen who is eligible for election to the National Council
Wer kann in den Bundesrat gewählt werden? — Jede Schweizerin und jeder Schweizer, die in den Nationalrat wählbar sind
Demokratie und Föderalismus 18
The people reject a proposal that the Federal Council (Bundesrat) recommended them to accept. What happens to the Federal Council?Correct answer:It stays in office and carries out the decision.
Das Volk lehnt eine Vorlage ab, die der Bundesrat zur Annahme empfohlen hat. Was geschieht mit dem Bundesrat? — Er bleibt im Amt und setzt den Entscheid um.
Demokratie und Föderalismus 19
What is true of the Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzlerin or Bundeskanzler)?Correct answer:He or she heads the Federal Chancellery and takes part in Federal Council discussions without voting.
Was gilt für die Bundeskanzlerin oder den Bundeskanzler? — Sie oder er leitet die Bundeskanzlei und berät im Bundesrat mit, ohne mitzustimmen.
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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