Das Kräfteverhältnis der Gliedstaaten im Gesamtgefüge des Bundesstaates : unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Konzepts des schweizerischen Zweikammersystems

Switzerland's political legitimacy rests on two pillars – federalism and democracy. The relationship between the two is highly complex and has developed very unevenly over the past 150 years. When the Swiss Confederation was founded, the cantons were regarded as the central pillars of the political system. In this respect they have now been superseded by the federal government. Demographic developments have led to a situation in which the political weight of the town cantons is not adequately reflected, particularly in the Council of States, although the majority of the population lives in these cantons. The central concern of this book is to identify the tensions and contradictions between federalism and the democratic principle and, at least in certain areas, to attempt a reconciliation between these two principles. The author analyses the fundamental problem of the equal treatment of regional representative bodies within a federal system and suggests possible alternative models. The study shows how equal treatment of member states in Swiss constitutional law has been realised, focusing particularly on constitutional history. The position of the Council of States in the Swiss constitutional system and the bicameral system in its present form are analysed in detail and critically. In particular the author examines the question of whether the small chamber actually is the repository of federalist philosophy that it is often claimed to be. The issue of whether the Swiss bicameral system in its present form is justifiable and viable in the modern world is also explored. The author proposes measures that take account both of the history of the Swiss constitutional system and of the requirements of the future.