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Four articles on political participation of political scientists, a matter that is not as simple as it seems. The article starts with an introduction, stating that political sciences cover a much larger field than party politics, and that one of the objects of a political scientist is the division between opinions and engagement on the one hand, and scientific analysis on the other. The articles are 1) on the difference between affiliation to a political party and governmental responsibilities, against a background of deontological argumentation (Van Praag); 2) the same subject as before, but within a pragmatic context (Van Aelst); 3) practical political expertise as enrichment for education and research (Koole); 4) neutrality, objectivity and engagement in co-habitation of political science and party politics (Bake). References. O. van Zijl

A discussion of the development of political protest in the Netherlands based on: (1) a study conducted by S. H. Barnes, M. Kaase, et al in 1974 (Political Action. Mass Participation in Five Western Democracies, Beverly Hills: Sage, 1979); (2) a 1979 replication conducted by J. J. A. Thomassen et al (De verstomde revolutie. Politieke opvattingen en gedragingen van Nederlandse burgers na de jaren zestig [The Speechless Revolution. Political Opinions and Behavior of Dutch Citizens after the Sixties], Samson: Alphen a.d. Rijn, 1983); & (3) a 1985 replication survey conducted by the department of political science of the U of Amsterdam. Analysis indicates that the protest potential in the Netherlands has diminished, but that participation has increased; while youth in the 1960s had relatively high protest potential & protest participation, youth of the 1980s appear to be even more active. The questionnaire also examined willingness to demonstrate for (or against) issues classified as socialist, new (immaterialist), or traditional. Although a distinction was expected, the willingness to demonstrate for the socialist & new issues was relatively high, & there were no clear boundaries between the supporters of these groups. It is concluded that much remains to be learned about the manner in which a potential for certain actions develops & is mobilized. 11 Tables, 1 Appendix, 31 References. Modified AA

The Dutch parliamentary election studies for the years 1973-1986 reveal that differences between men & women in political participation have been reduced to a minimal level, but still persist. Two hypotheses regarding these differences -- that women are less involved in politics than men, & that women experience more problems when trying to become politically active -- are supported by the evidence. Differences are small or nonexistent for participation in unconventional activities, but substantially greater for conventional ones. Working outside the home significantly enhances the participation of women, but does not affect that of men. Differences within each sex appear larger than differences between the sexes. Politically active men & women are relatively more leftist, & politically active men are favorable to the women's movement & to women's emancipation. 14 Tables, 1 Figure, 1 Appendix, 39 References. Modified HA

In a test of an earlier study (Cleymans, A., "De niet-aanwezige burger midden de jaren zeventig" [The Non-Present Citizen in the Mid-1970s] in Res Publica, 1985, 1, 140), the structure & selectivity of political participation in the Netherlands & Belgium are compared. Overall political participation since 1973 appears to remain at the same level for a range of ten activities, eg, trying to contact politicians & joining a demonstration. However at the macrolevel, the stability of participation is combined with a constant or slowly rising passive political involvement. The relationship of political involvement & participation with individual & social background characteristics is not very strong in the 1980s. The better educated, leftists, & public employees have the highest participation rates during 1973-1986. Differences between the sexes seems to decrease over time. In Belgium, working outside the home does not appear to stimulate the participation of women; however, in the Netherlands, this factor is of utmost importance. 5 Tables. Modified HA

In this paper we study both long term and short term individual effects of political participation at the local level. Participatory theorists argue that political participation could lead to individual emancipation in terms of a rise of political knowledge and, in the long term, political trust. Indeed, in the short term the increased political knowledge associated with participation might enable citizens to better define their self-interest, which may be inconsistent with actual policies pursued by the local authorities and thus might be conductive to distrust. In the empirical part we will test these assertions using two-wave panel data for a random sample of 457 individuals in the district of Deurne (Antwerp -- Belgium). Our results suggest that in the short term participation leads to more local political knowledge and distrust in the local administration. However, we do not find a significant increase in political trust in the long term. Adapted from the source document.

Three stages of Dutch research on women & politics are delineated: (1) early research aimed at filling the gaps in knowledge about women's political participation & attitudes; (2) in the second stage, research addressed issues raised by feminism & debates about the scope of the political, & (3) in a now emerging third stage, interest is renewed in the major concepts of the Western political tradition, in which the genderedness of concepts is at stake. This stage may lead to a new paradigm for the discipline, relinking normative with empirical concerns. It is precisely the dominance of the empirical tradition in the Netherlands that prevents the incorporation of insights derived from feminist theory in the analysis of political behavior; however, reappraisal of the normative dimension & the domain of the discipline may reverse this trend. 114 References. Modified AA

In political participation research it is widely assumed that it is irrelevant on whose behalf a protest action is used, as claimed in A. Marsh's "Exploration in Unorthodox Political Behavior: A Scale to Measure 'Protest Potential"' (European Journal of Political Research, 1974, 2, 107-129). To investigate this claim, interview data were obtained from Dutch adults (N = 34) from 10 cities in 5 provinces on the acceptability of specific political acts, the extent to which they held firm opinions, & the degree to which a specific act would be acceptable in relation to a certain issue. A cursory analysis of data would uphold the commonly held claim; however, closer examination reveals that just over 50% of the responses were made according to the usual expectations. The results indicate that different rules for making decisions are employed not only among different people, but also by the same individual, depending on the issue. 11 Tables, 7 Figures, 3 Graphs, 11 References. Modified HA