The confederation in the 17th century was still a patchwork of territories, whose inhabitants enjoyed very different degrees of freedom, depending on where they lived.

The cantons themselves were of very different sizes and the status of their inhabitants varied greatly, as did the power structure.

The six rural cantons had a "popular assembly" (German: Landsgemeinde) in which all male citizens participated. However, not all communes were members, and the higher administrative offices were shared between a limited number of families.

Administration of the industrial city cantons - Zurich, Basel, Schaffhausen - had gradually come to be monopolised by the guilds, whose membership was severely restricted. Rural inhabitants had no say in how affairs were run.

Other city cantons - Bern, Lucerne, Fribourg, Solothurn - were in effect ruled by aristocrats. The citizens were squeezed out of decision making, which came to be exercised by a few families in the canton capital. In Bern, for example, the rulers were known as "Their Excellencies". (German: Gnädige Herren)

The "common lordships" were administered by bailiffs appointed by the cantons. The cantons took it in turns to appoint the bailiff, and since the Catholic cantons were in the majority, many years would elapse between Protestant bailiffs. The Protestants often felt oppressed, and this led to tension between the cantons themselves.

The situation was better in the "subject territories" such as Vaud, run by Bernese bailiffs from aristocratic families with the help of local deputies.

The common body was the Diet, but it did not have binding powers.