Abstract

Civic education does not serve as a legal term. Unlike political rights, it has therefore received at best marginal attention in constitutional law. In practice, however, a strong link exists between exercising political rights and civic education. Sociologically, minimal civic education is a prerequisite for successful democratic decision-making. This paper focuses on how these de facto conditions are taken into account by the requirements for exercising political rights in the Swiss legal system. Discussion starts from three civic constellations: Swiss citizens by birth living in Switzerland, naturalised voters, and Swiss citizens living abroad. The incongruity resulting from this comparison serves as a basis for debating reform options from a legal perspective.