I live in Switzerland. There are a few key differences. 1. The scale of population difference between the most and least populous full cantons (that have equal

I live in Switzerland. There are a few key differences. 1. The scale of population difference between the most and least populous full cantons (that have equal representation in the Ständerat) is somewhat lower than CA versus WY, and they're geographically much (!) closer which I suspect at least allows for a bit more "intercantonal" exposure. 2. Even more importantly, in my opinion: the two houses in the bicameral system have essentially identical powers. There isn't a system of important executive or judicial appointments requiring only a Senate appointment (although the analogs here are blurry), so a majority of the national population's representatives must also sign off as well as a majority of cantons. Providing the Senate unique powers protect the tyranny of less-populous states without limiting the dependence on the federal government. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assembly_(Switzerland) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assembly_(Switzerland)