SwitzerlandDémocratie et fédéralisme 5 · Democracy and federalism
What does the principle of subsidiarity mean in Swiss federalism?
In the exam (French)
Que signifie le principe de subsidiarité dans le fédéralisme suisse ?
- aEvery state task is always carried out jointly by all three levels at the same time.Chaque tâche de l'État est toujours accomplie en commun par les trois niveaux à la fois.
- bA higher level takes on a task only if the lower level cannot do it well.Un niveau supérieur ne prend une tâche en charge que si le niveau inférieur ne peut pas bien l'accomplir.Correct answer
- cThe Confederation decides all important questions and the cantons only carry them out.La Confédération tranche toutes les questions importantes et les cantons ne font qu'exécuter.
- dEvery year the communes must pay a fixed share of their taxes to the Confederation.Les communes doivent verser chaque année une part fixe de leurs impôts à la Confédération.
Why?
What a commune or a canton can handle well itself should stay at that level. The Confederation takes on only the tasks that are beyond the cantons' capacities or that need uniform rules (Art. 5a and 43a of the Federal Constitution). In French this is called the principe de subsidiarité.
Translated with AI. In the exam the question is in French, as shown above.
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Take a free mock examDémocratie et fédéralisme 6
A cantonal law contradicts a federal law. Which rule applies?Correct answer:Federal law prevails.
Une loi cantonale contredit une loi fédérale. Quelle règle s'applique ? — Le droit fédéral l'emporte.
Démocratie et fédéralisme 7
What is true about the constitution of a canton?Correct answer:Each canton has its own constitution, which the Confederation must guarantee.
Qu'en est-il de la constitution d'un canton ? — Chaque canton a sa propre constitution, que la Confédération doit garantir.
Démocratie et fédéralisme 8
What is the aim of fiscal equalisation between the Confederation and the cantons?Correct answer:The gaps between rich and poor cantons should become smaller.
Quel est le but de la péréquation financière entre la Confédération et les cantons ? — Les écarts entre cantons riches et cantons pauvres devraient se réduire.
Démocratie et fédéralisme 9
A person who has Swiss nationality always also has …Correct answer:the citizenship of a commune and of a canton.
Une personne qui a la nationalité suisse possède toujours aussi … — le droit de cité d'une commune et d'un canton.
Source
Our own practice questions, written in French on the facts of the Federal Constitution and official information from the Confederation and the cantons of Vaud and Geneva. They are not the questions of the cantonal tests, and no text from the official cantonal or communal lists is reused. Each question was written, answered blind and fact-checked in separate rounds. The English translation and the explanations are ours, made with AI help; in the test the questions are asked in French. We are not affiliated with the Confederation, the cantons or the communes.
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