Canton Basel-Stadt: Grand Council, Government, Courts and Communes
What this domain tests
The exam checks that you know the cantonal bodies by name, size and electoral method, and that you can follow a cantonal initiative through the process.
Legislature and executive
- Grand Council (Grosser Rat): 100 members, elected every four years by proportional representation in a single cantonal constituency. It passes laws, approves the budget, elects judges and supervises the government.
- Government (Regierungsrat): seven members elected every four years by majority vote, in a separate election from parliament. Its presidency rotates annually. Each member heads a department such as the Präsidialdepartement, Finanzdepartement, Justiz- und Sicherheitsdepartement, Erziehungsdepartement, Gesundheitsdepartement, Bau- und Verkehrsdepartement or Departement für Wirtschaft, Soziales und Umwelt.
- The Staatskanzlei supports both bodies and coordinates cantonal voting business.
Courts
The cantonal judiciary includes the Appellationsgericht as highest cantonal court, the Zivilgericht, the Strafgericht, the Zwangsmassnahmengericht, the Jugendgericht and the Sozialversicherungsgericht, plus Friedensrichter as conciliation authority in civil disputes. Judges are elected by the Grand Council, not by the people.
Communes
The canton consists of only three communes: Basel (about 178,000 residents), Riehen (about 21,000) and Bettingen (about 1,200, the smallest). Riehen, as a Landgemeinde, has its own legislature (Einwohnerrat) and a Gemeinderat, and runs many tasks such as schools and social services itself. Bettingen organises its affairs through its own communal bodies. The city of Basel has no separate municipal parliament; the Grand Council also acts for the city.
Worked example
A committee wants to change the cantonal constitution by initiative. Reasoning: it collects the required signatures within the statutory period, the Staatskanzlei certifies them, the Grand Council checks validity and recommends accept or reject, and the electorate votes. A constitutional revision needs the mandatory referendum; a simple cantonal law could be challenged later by optional referendum. A parliamentary counter-proposal may be put alongside the initiative.
Traps that cost marks
Do not say the Grand Council elects the Regierungsrat – the people do. Do not give Basel-Stadt two Council of States seats; as a half-canton it has one. Do not confuse Liestal, the capital of Basel-Landschaft, with any Basel-Stadt institution.