Under the Ancien Régime, the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy had been governed by councils of pre-eminent citizens since time immemorial, and the later Helvetic Republic (with its equivalent Directorate) as well as the cantons that had given themselves liberal constitutions since the 1830s had also had good experiences with that mode of governance.
Di bawah Rezim Ancien, dengan kanton dari Konfederasi Swiss Lama telah diatur oleh dewan unggulan warga sejak zaman dahulu dan kemudian Republik Swiss (setara Direktorat) serta kanton-kanton yang telah diberikan sendiri konstitusi liberal sejak tahun 1830-an juga memiliki pengalaman baik dengan modus pemerintahan.