List of Okataian presidents

The Federal Constitution adopted on the 17 October 1868 and re-published in 1948 is the legal foundation of the modern federal state. It is among the oldest constitutions in the world. A newer Constitution was adopted in 2000, but did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines basic and political rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Federation and the provinces and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. There are three main governing bodies on the federal level: the parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).

The Okataian Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 36 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each province, and the National Council, which consists of 500 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, depending on the population of each province. Members of both houses serve for 4 years. When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. The President is directly elected by the people every four years. The President chairs the government shares executive power with the chancellor he appoints and assumes representative functions.