Cantonal Government and directorates

The government of the canton of Zurich is called the Cantonal Government (Regierungsrat). It is the executive, that is the executive power. The Cantonal Government has 7 members. They work full-time. Each member heads a directorate. A directorate is a large part of the cantonal administration, similar to a ministry.

The 7 directorates are: Directorate of Justice and Home Affairs, Directorate of Security, Directorate of Finance, Directorate of Economic Affairs, Directorate of Health, Directorate of Education and Directorate of Building. The Directorate of Building is responsible, for example, for cantonal roads, waters and the environment. There is no directorate for the military: the army is a matter for the Confederation.

The people elect the Cantonal Government directly, every 4 years. The majority voting system (Majorz) applies: the people with the most votes are elected. Neither the parties nor Parliament decide on the government. This is different from many other countries. The Federal Council, too, is not elected by the people, but by Parliament.

Memory aid: 7 members of the Cantonal Government, 7 directorates: each member has exactly one directorate.