http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/18517167

Governance and Politics of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has often been characterized as a place of political calm, with an ethos of cooperation and compromise on the part of citizens and politicians on the key issues for parliamentary debate. Now, at a time when immigration and European integration are high on the political agenda, populist parties are on the rise, and the electorate is growing ever more unpredictable, it is vital to question how the Dutch system will continue to achieve consensus. The widespread financial crisis of recent years, controversial decisions in foreign policy and the accession of a new king have also shaped this evolving political landscape. In this fully revised and updated new edition of the leading text in the field, the authors account for contemporary developments in Dutch politics at all levels, from the subnational to the international. They also examine the features of the country's political system that have long made it a subject of study for political scientists: its consociational form of democracy, the difficulties of cabinet formation, the so-called 'polder model', seen as responsible for the swings in economic fortune, and the pragmatic approach of Dutch society to issues such as euthanasia and drugs. Clearly and accessibly written, Governance and Politics of the Netherlands provides a comprehensive and reliable introduction to a country whose small size belies its importance in comparative political analysis.

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