This is taken from the website of the Swiss Embassy

'Direct Democracy

There are very few countries in which the people have such far-reaching rights of co-determination as in Switzerland. The long democratic tradition, the comparatively small size, both in terms of geography and population, and ultimately also the high level of literacy and diversity of media are decisive in ensuring the proper functioning of this particular form of state.

All Swiss citizens over the age of 18 may take part in elections to the National Council both actively and passively: in other words, they may cast their votes and also stand for election themselves. Elections to the Council of States are not organised at federal level; they are governed by cantonal provisions. Persons who are entitled to take part in parliamentary elections may also cast their vote in popular ballots.

Citizens may seek a decision from the people on an amendment they want to make to the Constitution. For such an initiative to be put the vote, the signatures of 100,000 citizens must be collected within 18 months. The authorities sometimes respond to such an initiative with a counterproposal (generally less far-reaching) in the hope that the people and cantons will support that instead. People's initiatives do not originate from parliament or government, but rather from ordinary citizens. They are regarded as the driving force behind direct democracy.

The people are entitled to pronounce on parliamentary decisions after the event. Federal laws, generally binding decisions of the Confederation and international treaties of indefinite duration are subject to an optional referendum: in this case, a popular ballot is held if 50,000 citizens so request. The signatures must be collected within 100 days of a decree's publication. The overall impact on the political process of the veto-like right of referendum is to hold back change or to slow it down in that it either blocks amendments adopted by Parliament or the Government or delays their implementation'.