SwitzerlandDemokratie und Föderalismus 5 · Democracy and federalism
What does the principle of subsidiarity (Subsidiarität) mean in Swiss federalism?
In the exam (German)
Was bedeutet der Grundsatz der Subsidiarität im Schweizer Föderalismus?
- aEvery public task is always carried out by all three levels together.Jede staatliche Aufgabe wird immer von allen drei Ebenen gemeinsam erledigt.
- bThe Confederation decides all important questions, and the cantons only carry out the decisions.Der Bund entscheidet alle wichtigen Fragen, und die Kantone führen die Entscheide nur aus.
- cA higher level takes on a task only if the lower level cannot deal with it well.Eine höhere Ebene übernimmt eine Aufgabe nur, wenn die tiefere sie nicht gut lösen kann.Correct answer
- dEvery year the municipalities must pay a fixed share of their taxes to the Confederation.Die Gemeinden müssen jedes Jahr einen festen Teil ihrer Steuern an den Bund abgeben.
Why?
What a municipality or a canton can deal with well by itself should stay there. The Confederation takes on only tasks that are beyond the cantons' capacity or that need uniform rules (Art. 5a and 43a of the Federal Constitution).
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 6
A cantonal law contradicts a federal law (Bundesgesetz). Which one applies?Correct answer:Federal law takes precedence.
Ein kantonales Gesetz widerspricht einem Bundesgesetz. Was gilt? — Das Bundesrecht geht vor.
Demokratie und Föderalismus 7
What is true of a canton's constitution?Correct answer:Each canton has its own constitution, which the Confederation must guarantee.
Was gilt für die Verfassung eines Kantons? — Jeder Kanton hat eine eigene Verfassung, die der Bund gewährleisten muss.
Demokratie und Föderalismus 8
What is the aim of fiscal equalisation (Finanzausgleich) between the Confederation and the cantons?Correct answer:The differences between rich and poor cantons are to become smaller.
Was ist das Ziel des Finanzausgleichs zwischen Bund und Kantonen? — Die Unterschiede zwischen reichen und armen Kantonen sollen kleiner werden.
Demokratie und Föderalismus 9
Anyone who holds Swiss citizenship (Bürgerrecht) always also holds …Correct answer:the citizenship of a municipality and of a canton.
Wer das Schweizer Bürgerrecht hat, besitzt immer auch … — das Bürgerrecht einer Gemeinde und eines Kantons.
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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