Council of States (Switzerland)

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/council-of-states-switzerland

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is Council of States (Switzerland)?Four years
2. What is the location?Federal Palace, Bern, Switzerland
3. What is the number of members?46 councillors
4. What is the Council of States in Switzerland?The Council of States is the upper house of Switzerland’s parliament. It represents the country’s cantons and helps make national laws.
5. How many members are in the Council of States?There are 46 members. Most cantons send two councillors, while six smaller half‑cantons send one each.

Perfect Bicameralism: A legislative system where both houses of parliament have equal power and must agree on all laws.
Federalism: A system of government where power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units (like cantons).
Subsidiarity: The principle that decisions should be made at the lowest possible level of government, closest to the people.