Swiss Passport

Question 45 of 350 · The Federal Parliament

What do the National Council and the Council of States do together?

Was machen Nationalrat und Ständerat gemeinsam?

Correct answer: B

  1. AThey decide on international treaties.Sie entscheiden über internationale Verträge.
  2. BThey elect the members of the Federal Council and the Federal Supreme Court.Sie wählen die Mitglieder des Bundesrats und des Bundesgerichts.
  3. CThey draft the federal budget.Sie entwerfen das Bundesbudget.
  4. DThey deliver judgments in the Federal Supreme Court.Sie fällen im Bundesgericht Urteile.

Why

For certain elections, both chambers meet as the United Federal Assembly. There they elect the Federal Council and the federal judges.

Common mistakes

A: They decide on international treaties.
Both chambers decide on important treaties, but each one separately, not together in one sitting.
C: They draft the federal budget.
The budget is drafted by the Federal Council. Parliament then approves it, in separate chambers.
D: They deliver judgments in the Federal Supreme Court.
Judgments are delivered by judges, not by members of Parliament.

Topic

What Parliament does

The most important task of the Federal Assembly is legislation. The National Council and the Council of States debate and pass the federal laws. Both chambers must approve a law. In this way Parliament decides on most new laws. The Federal Council proposes laws, but it does not pass them. The Federal Supreme Court applies laws, but it does not make them.

How the state works · The Federal Parliament

Sources

Official question of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.