Its part of culture. The state is not centralized (canton over federal), which makes each state independent and highly individualistic.

This ethos percolates down, well beyond empowering the minority via direct democracy: its shameful on the individual to not carry one's weight. The smallest unit is the one to trust.

Contrast that to other collectivist societies, with top heavy bureaucracies, where the top literally cannot carry their weight (debt/deficits) and the populace is always looking for the biggest bureaucracy to rescue them.

There's no trust in people, because people are competing to weaponize the large state to screw... you.