SwitzerlandDemokratie und Föderalismus 42 · Democracy and federalism
What is the difference between "electing" (wählen) and "voting" (abstimmen)?
In the exam (German)
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen «wählen» und «abstimmen»?
- aYou elect only at the federal level; you vote only in the municipality.Man wählt nur auf Bundesebene; man stimmt nur in der Gemeinde ab.
- bYou elect people to an office; you vote on issues such as laws.Man wählt Personen in ein Amt; man stimmt über Sachfragen wie Gesetze ab.Correct answer
- cYou elect only at the polling station; you vote only by post from home.Man wählt nur an der Urne; man stimmt nur brieflich von zu Hause ab.
- dThere is no difference; both words mean exactly the same thing.Es gibt keinen Unterschied, beide Wörter bedeuten genau das Gleiche.
Why?
In elections, voters decide who gets an office, for example a seat in the National Council (Nationalrat). In votes, they decide on an issue, such as a law or an amendment to the Constitution.
Translated with AI. In the exam the question is in German, as shown above.
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What is the "Parole" of a political party?Correct answer:Its recommendation on how to vote in a popular vote
Was ist die «Parole» einer politischen Partei? — Ihre Empfehlung, wie man bei einer Abstimmung stimmen soll
Demokratie und Föderalismus 44
What was called the "magic formula" (Zauberformel) from 1959 onwards?Correct answer:A fixed division of the seven Federal Council seats among the four largest parties
Was bezeichnete man ab 1959 als «Zauberformel»? — Eine feste Verteilung der sieben Bundesratssitze auf die vier grössten Parteien
Demokratie und Föderalismus 45
What does concordance (Konkordanz) mean in Swiss politics?Correct answer:The large parties govern together and look for compromises.
Was bedeutet Konkordanz in der Schweizer Politik? — Die grossen Parteien regieren gemeinsam und suchen Kompromisse.
Demokratie und Föderalismus 46
Who holds judicial power (Judikative) at the federal level?Correct answer:The Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgericht)
Wer übt auf Bundesebene die richterliche Gewalt (Judikative) aus? — Das Bundesgericht
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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