Search results

In the Netherlands, as in Germany & the US, the judicial branch of government is assuming increasing importance. Political scientists must work to analyze the relationship between the state & the course of legal development. The increasing importance that society gives to legal discourse is stressed. Also discussed is the relationship between judicial power & the political elite. Suggestions are made for research in this area. M. Meeks

The Iraq War has once again spotlighted the divisions within the European Union that have prevented a unified foreign policy & strategy in its leadership. While the common market & currency, along with the accession of ten new member states have contributed greatly to a sense of European unity, the reliance on majority consensus & "soft security" neither ensures effective supranational policy making, nor does it eliminate the tension caused by the international leadership claims of three European Union members: GB, France, & Germany. The former two are both nuclear powers & permanent members of the Security Council, while the latter is one of the world's leading economies, & the dominant one in Europe; each has its own interests & orientations (eg, the transatlantic reflex of GB, the Continental reflex of France, & the pacifism of Germany). It is proposed that the European Union give more coordinating & directive power to the Union Ministry for Foreign Affairs to ensure a common foreign policy for the continent. A. Siegel

The replacement of grassroots environmental movements with institutionalized mass membership organizations in Western nations during the 1980s & 1990s is examined, hypothesizing that the degree of institutionalization is primarily determined by national political opportunity structure. An analysis of the environmental movements of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, & Switzerland reveals that they are highly institutionalized in comparison to France. Moreover, it is demonstrated that different political opportunity structures generate international differences among highly institutionalized environmental movements. 10 Tables, 56 References. Adapted from the source document.

Using literature, documents and parliamentary debates in Britain, Germany, The Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland, nine arguments for and against lowering the voting age to sixteen are distinguished and critically assessed. The assessment is based on criteria such as logical consistency and empirical validity. It is argued that most arguments can hardly be defended with these criteria. However, this does not mean that the case for lowering the voting age is weak. This would only be the case if a voting age of eighteen is considered as valuable in its own right. Adapted from the source document.

Interview data are drawn on to compare levels of political alienation among 206 German & 236 Belgian higher civil servants. Analysis shows that early academic & political socialization matters little, except for the ideological & general cultures. Belgians are less egalitarian, more materialistic, & more politically alienated, & their participation in policy formulation is lower. The high degree of technocratism among the Belgians, leading to disrespect for politicians, is yet to be considered. 17 Tables. Adapted from the source document.

A comparison of the social security systems developed since WWII in 10 European nations: Austria, Belgium, GB, France, West Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Norway, & Sweden. Differences in the systems that reflect ideology & social forces have often been more controversial than the amount of social expenditure. It is argued that the labor movement had a particular vision of social security, which was legislated where labor had the political majority & defeated elsewhere. Postwar developments have been shaped primarily by this factor, which has become more evident in the current crisis than in the period of general expansion in the 1960s to 1970s. 1 Table, 1 Schema. Modified HA

The state of Dutch political thought in the seventeenth century is reviewed. Three main approaches are discussed: (1) The critical approach is represented by P. de la Court, who, influenced by Hobbes, defended a more democratic type of government. (2) The historical-philological movement, represented by J. Lipsius, Boxhornius, & Burgersdijk, was based on Aristotelian metaphysical concepts to develop a more systematic base for historical research. This movement influenced the development of the typical research style of the political sciences in Germany. (3) B. de Spinoza's passion-reason theory led to an analytical political science, exemplifying the typical method of integrating theory & empirical (historical) information. Modified HA.

The topic of right-wing extremism in European societies is subject to repeated discussions in politics, society and the media. These discourses, which are usually triggered by spectacular events, often address causes for the formation of right-wing extremist attitudes (RA). Among other reasons, such causes are considered to be social change, perception of social inequality or the existence of specific value orientations. These factors are also subject matter of various empirical studies. However, the causal relations between the explanatory approaches often remain unspecified in these studies. This neglect applies in particular to the integration of demographic variables like education or age. These concerns are accounted for in the present study by formulating a theoretically-driven model that explains RA which includes the causal relations between independent variables. This theoretical model will be tested by structural equation models using a representative survey from Germany. Adapted from the source document.

A little appreciated member of the international community in 2004, Belgium has developed the previous years into a constructive diplomatic element that takes to heart its international responsibility (examples: troops in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Balkans, and an effective diplomatic intervention concerning the Democratic Republic of Congo). Responsibly for this success are called Belgian impartiality, its open ears, imagination and collaboration regarding multilateralism. Furthermore, the EU's enlargement by 10 states is discussed, the rejecting of the European Constitution by France and the Netherlands, and the strengthened position of the BENELUX within the EU. A second topic: relations with the neighboring countries France, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. A last item discusses cooperation in multilateral development projects. References. O. van Zijl