Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for September 12, 2023
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
September 12, 2023: 175 years ago, in 1848, Switzerland adopted a federal constitution, creating 2 houses of government, a 46-member senate called the Council of States, and a 200 member house of representatives called the National Council.[1]
The area we now call Switzerland emerged as a collection of farming settlements around 5,300 BCE, was incorporated into the Roman Empire in 15 BCE. The Holy Roman Empire moved the borders around several times and more-or-less controlled the region until 1291, when the first distinct Swiss Confederacy was established. Switzerland’s independence from the Holy Roman Empire was not recognized until 1648 when, under the Peace of Westphalia, Switzerland was officially recognized as an independent nation.[1]
Today the country has the 8th highest GDP per capita, and the highest wealth per adult of any nation. Its population is estimated to be at 8,738,791 as of 2020, and its Human Development Index score is 0.962, ranking it first in the world. It is divided into 26 regions called cantons and has 4 official languages, German, French, Italian, and Romansh.[1]
Note: Neither Scott Rasmussen, ScottRasmussen.com, nor RMG Research, Inc. have any affiliation with Rasmussen Reports. While Scott Rasmussen founded that firm, he left nearly a decade ago and has had no involvement since that time.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- September 11, 2023-2,070 pages were added to the Federal Register from August 28 to September 1, 2023
- September 8, 2023-81% of voters believe that legal immigration is good for the United States
- September 7, 2023-20 Incumbents are running in this year’s 36 state executive elections
- September 6, 2023-82% of voters say America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance
- September 5, 2023-325 years ago, Tsar Peter I of Russia imposed a beard tax on his people
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