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Questions re whether politicians make deductions re the formal pol'al power constellation on the nat'l level from the approach or results of municipal elections are raised. Data from the elections in Belgium over the past 100 yrs are examined in this context. The elections of 1921, 1926, 1938, & 1958 had no influence on the nat'l power constellation. Since WWI not a single municipal election has led to changes within the nat'l gov. It is traditional in Belgian pol that the nat'l opposition, when the results of municipal elections are in its favor & prejudicial to the party in office (as in 1946, 1952, & 1964), tries to question the legitimacy of the gov by way of motions & appeals in parliament. Gov's have never given in to these attempts. The elections of 1857, 1884, & 1932 show an element of power in the dissolution of the then gov's. The gov'al crisis of 1884, however, can only be explained through the constitutional position of King Leopold II. The municipal elections of 1932 anticipated the legislative elections of that yr & served as an indicator of the electoral condition. But in view of the diff between nat'l & local positions, it was an unreliable indicator. Modified HA.

UNTIL 1971, THE BELGIAN SOCIALIST PARTY (BSP) WAS THE ONLY POLITICAL PARTY THAT CLOSELY & SYSTEMATICALLY INVOLVED ITS MEMBERS IN THE DESIGNATION OF SOCIALIST CANDIDATES FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. THIS WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH A SYSTEM OF PREELECTIONS WITHIN THE PARTY ('POLLING'). THE TREND AWAY FROM 'POLLING' ALREADY PERCEPTIBLE IN 1971, HAS ASSERTED ITSELF IN 1974. ABOUT 56% OF THE ELECTED MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT OWE THEIR SEAT TO THEIR PLACE ON THE CANDIDATE- LIST AT THE 'POLL'. MORE THAN 40% OF THEM WERE DESIGNATED BY A PARTY-CONGRESS. THIS CHANGE IS NOTICEABLY TRUE IN FLANDERS. THE CHOICE BETWEEN A 'POLL' & A CONGRESS AS A DECISION-MAKING TECHNIQUE IS NOT RELEVANT AS TO THE RENEWAL OF PARLIAMENTARY GROUPS. THIS RENEWAL IS MAINLY DUE TO THE INTRODUCTION OF AN AGE-LIMIT (65) & OF A GAIN IN SEATS. A GROWING LACK OF INTEREST IN PARTY MEMBERS IS EVIDENT, IN THE COMPOSITION OF CANDIDATE-LISTS: PARTICIPATION HAS AGAIN SLIGHTLY DECLINED. 8 TABLES. MODIFIED HA.

A review essay on books by (1) F. Ankersmit & L. Klinkers [Eds], De tien plagen van de staat. De bedrijfs-matige overheid gewogen ([The Ten Plagues of the State. Weighted Operational Government] Amsterdam: Van Gennep, 2008); (20 T. Schillemans, Verantwoording in de schaduw van de macht ([Accountability in the Shadow of Power] (Utrecht: Lemma, 2007); & (3) F. Leeuw & R. Elte [Eds], Turven, tellen, toetsen. Over toezicht, inspectie, handhaving en evaluatie en hun maatschappelijke betekenis in Nederland ([Turven, Count, Keys. Supervision, Inspection Enforcement and Evaluatiuon and Their Social Significance in the Netherlands] Den Haag: Boom, 2007).

A review essay on books by (1) Jacques A. A. van Doorn, Duits socialisme. Het falen van de sociaal-democratie en de triomf van het nationaal-socialisme [German Socialism. The Failure of Social Democracy and the Triumph of National Socialism] Amsterdam: Mets & Schilt, 2007); (2) Cas Mudde, Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe (Cambridge: Cambridge U Press, 2007); & (3) Jan Blommaert, De Crisis van de Democratie. Commentaren op Actuele Politiek ([The Crisis of Democracy Comments on Contemporary Politics] Berchem: EPO, 2007).

A survey is presented of the difficulties which the Christian Party has met since the '20s & the resulting changes in its forms of organization, based on historical documents & writings. Discussions on related problems & suggestions for further reading are included. The survey consists of three parts concerning a decade of Belgian political history & concentrating on the years during & after WWII, the period in which the form of the party was founded & which exists to the present. Modified AA.

The welfare states that were created after World War II are under pressure. The contributions of Judith van der Veer and Romke van der Veen both authors outline how the Netherlands is looking for new ways out to ensure the level of care of its citizens. Thus Netherlands is under the spell of the 'activating welfare state'. In Flanders makes similar analyzes can be found in recent policy documents the 'socialization of care 'as its central theme. But while a clear choice in the Netherlands to build from the local level, activating welfare of Flanders is holding onto a centralist and compartmentalised development of care and support. This leads to compartmentalized petrifaction, wasteful and bureaucratic chilly detachment. Adapted from the source document.

A report of a policy evaluation of the personnel situation in Belgium's amalgamated municipalities, investigating the degree to which amalgamation has achieved its objectives & which instruments have contributed to that achievement. It appears that the number of personnel in local administration grew more than in regional ones, particularly in public welfare agencies. This growth is probably due more to social evolution than to the amalgamation operation. The fact that large municipalities have relatively more personnel than small ones is not due to increase of the population. The diachronic study of the % of total expenditures for personnel shows that they have decreased, which could indicate a scale effect. However, there is insufficient information to ascribe this change to amalgamation. It is concluded that amalgamation as a policy measure has not brought many changes in policy implementation, which is explained by the lack of a strategy for change. It does not suffice merely to pass a law to bring about fundamental change. 11 Tables, 1 Figure, 1 Appendix. Modified HA.

From the outset, the Belgian press has been a political press. The evolution of each opinion trend in Belgian newspapers since 1950 is analyzed. 5 main trends can be distinguished: the catholic, the liberal, the socialist, the communist, & the 'neutral' trend. Each of these is examined & newspapers which reflect the various trends are reviewed. The sales history of these newspapers is considered. It is almost impossible to verify the total circulation of the French newspapers & the circulation figures of the Flemish newspapers were exaggerated. The relationship between the number of readers of political newspapers & the number of voters for the corresponding political parties was examined & the disproportion between these is noted. 15 Tables. I. Verluyten.