Switzerland's 1848 Constitution: The Militia Parliament That Runs a Nation

Switzerland's federal parliament, the Bundesversammlung, is unlike any other. It's a militia parliament — a body of ordinary citizens who serve part-time, keeping their day jobs as farmers, lawyers, and teachers. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how this unique system emerged from the 1848 constitution, how it checks executive power, and why it remains a cornerstone of Swiss political identity. They trace the compromise between cantonal sovereignty and national unity that created the Ständerat and Nationalrat, and they unpack the Jesuitenartikel — the constitutional ban on Jesuits — as a window into 19th-century cultural tensions. Through the lens of the Bundesversammlung, they reveal how Switzerland's dispersed power structure fosters consensus and stability, even in an age of executive dominance elsewhere. #Bundesversammlung #SwissParliament #MilitiaParliament #Ständerat #Nationalrat #Jesuitenartikel #SwissConstitution #1848 #Eidgenossenschaft #Sonderbund #UlrichOchsenbein #JonasFurrer #Tagsatzung #SwissPolitics #DirectDemocracy #History #FexingoHistory #Europe Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo