Which level of government is responsible for the military?

The army defends all of Switzerland. That is why the Confederation is responsible for the military.

Common mistakes

B: Canton

The cantons now only have small tasks in military matters. The army is run by the Confederation.

D: Municipality

Municipalities have no army. But they share responsibility, for example, for civil protection.

Tasks of the Confederation

In federalism each level has its own tasks. The Confederation only does what the Federal Constitution expressly allows it to do. These are mainly tasks that must be the same for the whole country. All other tasks belong to the cantons. The cantons pass some tasks on to the municipalities.

How the state works · Federalism: Confederation, cantons, municipalities

Sources

• zh.ch
• ch.ch
• fedlex.admin.ch

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