The Federal Constitution
Bern
Further reading: Federal Constitution of Switzerland (Wikipedia)
On 12 September 1848 the Federal Constitution came into force. The confederation of states became a federal state: the cantons kept wide autonomy, but foreign policy, customs, the postal service and the currency passed to the Confederation.
Parliament has two chambers, the National Council for the people and the Council of States for the cantons, and the government is the seven-member Federal Council. Bern became the federal city. With the revisions of 1874 and 1999, and the instruments of the referendum and the popular initiative, this constitution is the origin of today's direct democracy.
Allegory of the Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation, lithograph, 1848
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