Switzerland has been a federal republic since 1848, with authority shared between the central Confederation, the 26 cantons, and 2352 communes. The bicameral Federal Assembly comprises the 200-seat National Council and 46-seat Council of States. The seven members of the Federal Council, the executive branch, are elected by the Federal Assembly for four-year terms and one member serves as annual president in rotation.

1. Switzerland.
The political system.

2. Switzerland has been a federal state since 1848.
Authority is shared between
 the central state / the Confederation,
 the 26 cantons / federal states, and
 the 2352 communes / “Gemeinden”.
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/federal-council/political-system-of-switzerland/swiss-federalism.html
https://www.ch.ch/en/swiss-federalism/

3. https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html article 139.
http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/02070/index.html
How Swiss citizens can make a law

4. https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html article 141.
http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/02070/index.html
How Swiss citizens can voice disagreement with laws

5. The Federal Assembly comprises 2 chambers:
 The national council.
 The council of states.
Both chambers have equal standing.
https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html

6.  200 representatives of Swiss people.
 Each canton and half-canton is
entitled to at least 1 seat, even if its
resident population is below the
national average of 37,500.
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html article 149.
Nationalrat = The national council. House of Representatives.

7. Parties and seats in the national council from 1919 to 2011
http://www.psa.ac.uk/psa-communities/specialist-groups/parliaments-and-legislatures/blog/swiss-parliament-hybrid-system

8.  46 representatives.
 20 cantons each send 2 representatives.
 6 cantons each send 1 representative.
Obwalden, Nidwalden, Basel-Stadt,
Basel-Land, Appenzell Ausserrhoden,
and Appenzell Innerrhoden.
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html article 150.
Ständerat = Council of states. The Senate.

9. Each of the 26 cantons / federal states has its own
constitution, government and courts. The sovereignty of the
cantons is guaranteed by Article 3 of the Federal Constitution
of the Swiss Confederation according to which the cantons
exercise “all rights that are not vested in the Confederation.”
Examples of tasks that cantons are responsible for:
Education, hospitals, and police.
https://www.ch.ch/en/swiss-federalism/
https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html

10. Around 1/5 of communes have their own parliaments.
4/5 of the communes reach their decisions in the direct-
democratic forum of the communal assembly, in which all
residents, who are entitled to vote, can participate.
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/federal-council/political-system-of-switzerland/swiss-federalism.html

11. Switzerland's government, the federal council,
has 7 members. Each year, a different member
of the government becomes president.
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-political-system/29288762

12. Each of the 7 members of the Swiss government, the federal council, is elected for a term of 4
years by the 246 members of the Swiss parliament, i.e. 200 members from the House of
Representatives and 46 members from the Senate. At re-election every 4 years - a couple of
months after parliamentary elections - the 7 votes take place according to the order of
seniority. In other words, whoever has been a minister for the longest, is up for election first.
In the first 2 rounds of the secret ballot vote, parliament members can vote for anyone they
want – even for non-politicians who haven’t put themselves forward. After that, parliament
members are not allowed to vote for any new names. Whoever in the 2nd or subsequent
rounds gets fewer than 10 votes, drops out. If, in the 3rd or subsequent rounds, everyone gets
at least 10 votes, the person with the fewest drops out.
The vote continues until a winning candidate has been elected. To be elected, a candidate
needs an absolute majority. If all 246 parliamentarians turn up, this means that to be elected,
a person needs to get at least 124 votes.
https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html, article 174 and 175.
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/cabinet-elections_how-will-new-ingredients-change--magic-formula--/41825058

13. Additional sources of inspiration
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/federal-council/political-system-of-switzerland.html
http://www.parlament.ch/
http://www.politnetz.ch/
http://www.psa.ac.uk/psa-communities/specialist-groups/parliaments-and-legislatures/blog/swiss-parliament-hybrid-system
http://smartmonitor.ch/
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/switzerland-s-direct-democracy_how-the-swiss-political-system-works/30989120
http://www.vimentis.ch/