Until well into the 19th century, the municipalities were exclusively governed and administered by the citizens (burghers), and other inhabitants has no political rights. The Helvetic Republic created the Residents Associations, made up from all the citizens, in 1798, which were definitively introduced with the Bernese Cantonal Constitution of 1831. Since then, the civic communities have been public corporations.The Strättligen civic community currently consists of around 3,200 citizens, approx 560 of whom live in Thun