Question 69 of 350 · Separation of powers
Who holds legislative power (the legislature) at federal level?
Wer hat auf Bundesebene die gesetzgebende Gewalt (Legislative)?
Correct answer: C
Why
Laws are debated and passed by the National Council and the Council of States. That is why the Federal Parliament holds legislative power.
Common mistakes
- A: the Federal Council
- The Federal Council is the government, that is, the executive power. It proposes laws, but it does not pass them.
- D: the Federal Supreme Court
- The Federal Supreme Court is the judicial power. It applies laws, but it does not make them.
Topic
Legislature, executive, judiciary (and the media)
In Switzerland the power of the state is divided among three branches. This is called the separation of powers. In German the word «Gewalt» here does not mean violence but power. No person and no authority should have all the power. The branches control each other. This prevents abuse of power. The separation of powers exists at all three levels of government: in the Confederation, in the cantons and in the municipalities.
How the state works · Separation of powers
Sources
Official question of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.