![The Constitution of the United States with its famous preamble ‘We the People’ (left), and an excerpt from the Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/titel-verfassungen-ch-usa-300x225.jpg)
Switzerland and the USA: sister republics
At first glance, the USA and Switzerland seem like two very different countries. But a look back at their shared history springs a few surprises. It shows how closely the political systems of the two nations are related to one another.
![To mark the 700th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation in 1991, the US postal service and Swiss Post issued a joint postage stamp. The stamp depicts the Capitol in Washington and the federal parliament building, the Bundeshaus, in Bern.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/briefmarke-usa-ch-gbe-102368_lm-10845131-211x300.jpg)
Scepticism towards Rousseau’s sovereignty of the people
The American Revolution as the fruit of the Swiss Enlightenment
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
![The Declaration of Independence of 4 July 1776, depicted in the painting by John Trumbull (1756-1843), 1819. The painting is 5.5 m wide and now hangs in the Capitol.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/declaration_of_independence_1819_by_john_trumbull-300x199.jpg)
The American Revolution as impetus for the French and Helvetic Revolutions
![The Swiss woman (standing on the rock and dressed in traditional costume) recommends the referendum to her sisters the USA, Germany, France and Great Britain (from left to right). Drawing in the magazine The Cosmopolitan, No XV/3 (July 1893).](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/cosmopolitan-swis-miss-referendum-300x199.jpg)
The US Constitution as a model for Switzerland’s Federal Constitution
![Propaganda postcard for the introduction of the proportional representation system, around 1910.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/majorz-proporz-col-7467_lm-736938-300x197.jpg)
![The political system of the USA (thin arrows indicate rights of confirmation or veto).](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/pol-system-of-the-usa-en-300x225.jpg)
![Switzerland’s political system](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/pol-system-of-switzerland-en-300x225.jpg)
The Populist Movement calls for a direct democracy as in Switzerland
![Campaign poster for a California referendum on legalising cannabis, 1972.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/loc-referendum-1972-california-227x300.jpg)