In 2010, the three Dutch Caribbean islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba (the BES islands) were constitutionally integrated into the Netherlands, and were administratively reorganized on the basis of the Dutch municipal model. While this reform was anticipated to mitigate some of the governance problems of these islands, so far this expectation has remained unmet. Using the literature on the effects of smallness on the relation between formal and informal politics as a baseline, this article investigates why the new institutional structure has so far not resulted in improved governance in the Caribbean Netherlands. On the basis of three stages of field research resulting in over forty semi-structured interviews with political elites on the three islands, the analysis highlights the influence of two contextual factors – the small scale and the political culture of the postcolonial Caribbean – that have a powerful, and in many ways negative, impact on governance performance. Subsequently, the article highlights the inapplicability of the Dutch municipal model to the Dutch Caribbean islands, and also pays attention to a number of differences between the three islands, which are explained on the basis of their divergent historical and demographic trajectories, as well as differences in individual leadership. |
Artikel |
Iedereen kent iedereenDe invloed van kleinschaligheid en informele politiek op bestuur in Caribisch Nederland |
Tijdschrift | Beleid en Maatschappij, Aflevering 4 2017 |
Trefwoorden | Dutch Caribbean, informal politics, Smallness, Governance, non-sovereignty |
Auteurs | Dr. Wouter Veenendaal |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Artikel |
Burgertoppen in opkomstZegen of zorg voor de gemeenteraad? |
Tijdschrift | Beleid en Maatschappij, Aflevering 4 2017 |
Trefwoorden | Burgertoppen, G1000, Raadsleden, lokale democratie, Institutionalisering |
Auteurs | Dr. Harmen Binnema |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Over the last three years, various G1000s have been organized in Dutch municipalities. These citizen summits share a number of characteristics: random selection of participants, an open agenda, dialogue and inclusion of the entire ‘system’ (inhabitants, politicians, civil servants). The G1000s aim to renew local democracy and to change the relations between citizens and governments. Both of these objectives affect the role of local councilors and this paper discusses their opinions and attitude towards a G1000. It shows that councilors regard the G1000 as complementary to representative democracy and that they want be involved both in the organization of a G1000 in their municipality and the follow-up in local decision-making. On the one hand, this may lead to a better coupling between citizen initiatives and formal policy making. On the other hand, this entails the risk that a G1000 becomes institutionalized and loses its distinctive characteristics that make it a new form of democracy. |
Artikel |
Campagneactiviteiten en -financiering van lokale partijen in Nederland |
Tijdschrift | Beleid en Maatschappij, Aflevering 3 2017 |
Trefwoorden | electoral campaigns, campaign financing, independent local lists, party subsidies, local elections |
Auteurs | Justin Bergwerff MSc en Dr. Hans Vollaard |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Electoral campaigning and its financing at the local level have been hardly studied in spite of the growing political significance of municipalities in the Netherlands. Local parties have been barely studied either, even though they gained more than 30 percent of the seats in the local elections of 2014. They have done so without any public subsidy, whereas subsidized national parties can and do support their local branches. This article examines which campaign activities local parties used to attract voters, how these activities were funded, and whether local parties perceived subsidies necessary and desirable. A survey among local parties held just after the local elections of 2014, indicates that their campaigns are by and large a traditional, low-cost affair. They are often not labor-intensive nor technology-intensive, despite the electoral effectiveness of micro-targeting and canvassing. Contributions from local councilors constitute the main source of finance. The survey also shows that transparency of campaign financing can count on widespread support among local parties. They also prefer a level playing field between local parties and local branches of national parties by providing both public subsidies or none, which is an important contribution to the discussion on the current legislative proposals on party financing at the local level. |
Discussie |
Essay ‘Crisis van de gevestigde partijen’ |
Tijdschrift | Beleid en Maatschappij, Aflevering 3 2017 |
Auteurs | Professor Dr. Tom van der Meer |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Reflection and debate initiates academically inspired discussions on issues that are on the current policy agenda. |
Boekbespreking |
Iedere burger een lobbyist? Over politieke participatie voorbij de representatieve democratie. |
Tijdschrift | Beleid en Maatschappij, Aflevering 3 2017 |
Auteurs | Dr. Caelesta Braun |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
In this feature authors review recently published books on subjects of interest to readers of Beleid en Maatschappij. |
Artikel |
Deliberatieve democratie: ervaringen met diversiteit in burgertop Amsterdam |
Tijdschrift | Beleid en Maatschappij, Aflevering 2 2017 |
Trefwoorden | Democracy, Summit, Dialogue, Diversity, Homogeneity |
Auteurs | Dr. Peer Smets en Marloes Vlind MSc |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
This paper will show how citizens’ summits in the Netherlands cope with diversity of participants and the impact of this on those initiatives. This provides insight in why diversity is hard to reach and what can be done to improve it. Presently, dissatisfaction about the Dutch democratic system is widespread. Solutions are being sought to strengthen Dutch participatory democracy. For this objective, citizens’ summits develop different kind of initiatives. However, citizens participating in these summits are a homogeneous group, namely mainly white, middle aged and highly educated. Mechanisms of exclusion, selection of candidates, homogeneous composition of the organization, and a dominating intellectual/rational way of debating are playing a role here. Citizens with different backgrounds need to be included in these initiatives to obtain a better representation of society’s voices. This notion has been strengthened by theory, which shows that diversity enables more creativity and innovation. |
Artikel |
De flexibele onderneming: een kwestie van competitie én imitatie |
Tijdschrift | Beleid en Maatschappij, Aflevering 2 2017 |
Auteurs | Fabian Dekker |
Samenvatting |
In recent decades, the Dutch labour market has become more flexible. Flexible labour contracts enable firms to adjust employment to a changing market environment and to competitive pressures. Almost without exception, academic studies on the drivers behind the use of flexible labour contracts at the company level, are motivated by competitive pressures. However, companies may be susceptible to institutional pressures as well. Based on a survey among more than 650 managers in the Netherlands, we conclude that firms are vulnerable to institutional (mimetic) forces. This finding has several implications for policy-making and labour flexibility research. |
Discussie |
Lobby in daglicht: een eerlijker politiek speelveld? |
Tijdschrift | Beleid en Maatschappij, Aflevering 1 2017 |
Auteurs | Dr. Joost Berkhout |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Reflection and debate initiates academically inspired discussions on issues that are on the current policy agenda. |
Casus |
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Tijdschrift | Beleid en Maatschappij, Aflevering 1 2017 |
Auteurs | Prof. dr. Huub Dijstelbloem |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
In this feature authors discuss recent research findings that are of interest to readers of Beleid en Maatschappij. |
Casus |
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Tijdschrift | Beleid en Maatschappij, Aflevering 1 2017 |
Auteurs | Dr. Alexandre Afonso |
Auteursinformatie |