Swiss Government
...Europe, surrounded by Italy, France, Germany and Austria and is said to be born in 1291. The population is nearing 7.5 million people of which they are primarily German, French and Italian. The economy, which once used to be dependent on agriculture and crafts, is now dependent on foreign labor because of association with international politics and trade and because of the great industrialization. Their government has gone through many transitions and changes over the years but all has lead up to what Switzerland is today. Although many view Switzerland as a land of neutrality, there are many important aspects of their government that has shaped the world, and what their government is today.
It was not until the late 18th century that Switzerland lived under a unified government but if one was to ignore everything that happened before that period, then they would not understand the distinctive characteristics in the present day government. In the 16th century, Switzerland was the focus of the Protestant Reformation, and the cantons split along religious lines. One of the greatest political and religious leaders of the Reformation was John Calvin. His success lay in his extraordinary ability to combine extreme political convictions with his administrative talent. Calvin made much of Switzerland a power of Protestant strength. Both civil and secular laws were dominated by Calvin's' teachings. His religious base was Geneva, but his ideas spread rapidly to Scotland, the Netherlands, and even to southern France.
During the French Revolution, Switzerland united thirteen cantons to settle internal disagreements by means of arbitration. These cantons formed a small form of the League of Nations, and "there was no form of representative government, nor anything resembling a federal service, nor a federal army, nor a federal budget, nor a cantonal citizenship"...
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