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1291 | Conclusion of the Bundesbrief unifying Schwyz, Uri, and Unterwalden.
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1798 | Napoleon imposes the Constitution of the Helvetic Republic, unifying Switzerland and providing for an obligatory constitutional referendum.
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1802 | The first nationwide referendum in Switzerland; voters approve the 'Mediation' Constitution.
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1815 | New constitution of the Restoration returns Switzerland to confederal form.
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1830s | Liberal Regeneration in cantons leads to the introduction of the constitutional referendum, the optional legislative referendum, and the constitutional initiative (all at cantonal level).
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1847 | The Sonderbund War. Radical, Protestant cantons are victorious.
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1848 | The Constitution of 1848 enshrines the obligatory constitutional referendum and the constitutional initiative for total revision at the federal level.
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1860s | Numerous cantons introduce the legislative initiative.
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1874 | The Constitution of 1874 introduces the optional legislative referendum at cantonal level.
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1884 | A Catholic conservative is allowed on the Federal Council after a decade of referendum battles.
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1891 | A second Catholic conservative enters the executive, starting Konkordanz-Demokratie.
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1891 | The partial constitutional initiative is introduced at the federal level by constitutional amendment.
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1918 | Proportional Representation in National Council elections is introduced by initiative.
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1921 | The optional treaty referendum introduced.
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1929 | The first Agrarian is elected to the Federal Council.
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1943 | The first Social Democrat is elected to the Federal Council.
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1959 | The 'magic formula' of 2:2:2:1 Federal Council seat distribution is institutionalized.
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1977 | The required number of signatures for initiatives is raised from 60,000 to 100,000; and for referendums from 30,000 to 50,000.
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1987 | The possibility of voting 'double yes' on an initiative and its accompanying government counterproposal is introduced.
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