Why is Switzerland 🇨🇭 so rich? Its GDP per person was about 27% higher than America’s in 2025 (measured in US dollars). Switzerland has a president, but the job comes with far less power than the title suggests. Its national government is run by seven members of the Federal Council, each responsible for a department. One serves as president for a year, but does not become the boss of the other six. And much of the power stays closer to home. The country has 26 cantons (think of them as states), each with its own constitution, parliament and courts. Within the national constitution, they have substantial authority over things like schools and policing, and set their own tax rates. So people and businesses can compare what different cantons offer. They can move to another canton without leaving Switzerland. That gives officials a reason to care about whether taxes and public services are worth what people pay. It also lets cantons try different approaches and learn from each other, instead of making the whole country wait for one national plan. Citizens can challenge federal laws through referendums, too. Winning an election does not give politicians the final word on everything. Switzerland has ranked near the top for economic freedom year after year. It placed 4th worldwide in @FraserInstitute’s latest report (2025, using 2023 data), after placing 3rd in both the 2023 and 2024 editions. There is a lesson here for Africa. We spend so much time hoping the next leader will save us. It would be far healthier to have systems where people have more choices, and fewer decisions about their future depend on whoever holds the highest office.