About one fifth of the townships have own parliament; however, four fifths still know the direct-democratic decision in the townships meeting.

Among other tasks, which are assigned to them by the federation and canton - for example, leading the inhabitant's registers or the civil defence the municipalities also perceive their own competence - possibly in the school system and welfare, in the energy supply, in the road construction, by the local planning, to taxes etc. this competence regulates them widely independently.

The single cantons determine the circumference of the local autonomy - therefore, he is rather different.