Swiss Passport

How many members does the government of the canton of Zurich have?

Wie viele Mitglieder hat die Regierung des Kantons Zürich?

Correct answer: A

  1. A 77
  2. B 33
  3. C 55
  4. D depending on the tasks at hand.je nach Aufgaben, die anstehen.

Why

The Zurich government is the Cantonal Government (Regierungsrat). It always has 7 members.

Common mistakes

C: 5
The number is fixed in the constitution: 7, not 5.
D: depending on the tasks at hand.
The number does not change depending on the tasks. It is fixed.

Topic

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.

Separation of powers

The three powers control each other.

Legislature

Legislative

makes the laws

Confederation

Federal Assembly

Bundesversammlung

National Council 200 + Council of States 46

Canton of Zurich

Cantonal Council

Kantonsrat

180 members

Executive

Exekutive

carries out the laws

Confederation

Federal Council

Bundesrat

7 members

Canton of Zurich

Cantonal Government

Regierungsrat

7 members

Judiciary

Judikative

judges according to the law

Confederation

Federal Supreme Court

Bundesgericht

Lausanne

Canton of Zurich

Courts

Fourth power the media, which observe politics and the authorities critically.

Canton and municipality of Zurich
Zurich: politics

Sources

Last checked: September 2026

Question 106 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.

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