DUTCH POLITICS Castricum compared to Massachusetts JP Thijsse

DUTCH POLITICS Castricum compared to Massachusetts JP Thijsse College, Castricum, 22 nd of April 2015

Personal history Study Sociology Uv. A (1979 -1983) Study Political Science Uv. A (1983 -1985) Policy Advisor Friends of the Earth (1979 -1986) Policy Advisor City of Amsterdam (1986 -2007) Head Centre of Knowledge, Nicis Institute, The Haque(2007 -2013) • Senior Advisor Platform 31 (2013 -2014) • Owner Office of Public Values (2014 -…. ) • • •

Two different political systems I Winner takes all/two party system - by structure or by practice (USA vs. UK) - citizens chose electors (USA) - electors chose president (USA) II Diversity of opinions in society - no artificial election threshold - proportional representation - no votes are lost

Main political tendency’s • • Pvd. A VVD CDA D 66 PVV GL Pvd. D CU - egalitarian-liberal (social-democrats) individual-market (conservative-liberalism) communitarianism (christian-democrats) meritocratic (progressive liberalism) populism (immigrants – islam - nationalism) environmental (former pacifist, radicals, communist) animal rights christian religious

Political system • • royal house (House of Orange) (resistance against Spain) king Willem I + king Willem II (1772 -1848) constitutional parliamentary monarchy (1848 -1868) conflict king Willem III + Thorbecke (1849 -1868) based of liberal ideas parliamentary democracy (1919) separation of powers royal house: primarily an symbolic role

Castricum 60 km 2 34. 263 citizens (690 citizens km 2) Mayor: Toon Mans (VVD) City Council: 23 members Fractions: VVD, D 66, Pvd. A, CDA, SP, GL, GDB, CKen. G, Vrije Lijst (9 parties) • Board of Alderman: VVD, D 66, Pvd. A en CKen. G • BUCH: merging of administrations (2016) • • •

BUCH (Bergen, Uitgeest, Castricum, Heiloo)

Budget Castricum

Castricum • • 34. 263 citizens (15. 000 households) 260 citizens have a social benefit 3. 000 primary + 4. 000 students high school 160 children special education 2. 200 social housing tourism and recreation (dunes and sea side) commuters: train + car importance of intercity-station + Amsterdam

Political issues • • vision spatial and economic structure sport fields and sport halls infrastructure and green structure tourism and recreation building houses and shops jobs and social welfare environment and health participation and civil society

Issues for youngsters • • entertainment + going out (bars, disco) sport (skateboard) jobs housing for starters beach movies good education youth groups

Region Alkmaar

Region Alkmaar • • Voluntary way of coöperation 7 municipality’s 272. 000 citizens 119. 000 households PORA’s(councils of alderman on several issues) No democratic legitimacy / no decision power Regional Public Offices (environment, social welfare, security, health, houses)

New municipality Alkmaar?

12 Provinces Netherlands

Province of Noord-Holland • • Between municipality - national government 1. 420 km 2 2. 719. 764 citizens (1. 018 citizens km 2) 51 municipality’s Elections 2015 1. 987. 964 electorate 55 members 12 political fractions

Province of Noord-Holland

Netherlands • • Decentralized unitarian state Capital: Amsterdam 41. 543 km 2 16. 877. 575 citizens (406 citizens km 2) Government: VVD + Pvd. A 2 nd Chamber: 150 members (11 political fractions) 1 st Chamber: 75 members (chosen by members 12 provinces) Fractions 2 nd Chamber: 11 + 4 new (splitted)

2 nd Chamber of Parliament Fractie Ideologie Lijsttrekker Fractievoorzitter Stemmen Zetels Verschil in 2012 Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD) Conservatief-liberalisme Mark Rutte Halbe Zijlstra 2. 504. 948 40 +10 Partij van de Arbeid (Pvd. A) Sociaaldemocratie Diederik Samsom 2. 340. 750 36 +6 Groep Kuzu/Öztürk afgesplitst van Pvd. A n. v. t. Tunahan Kuzu - 2 n. v. t. Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV) Populisme [2] Geert Wilders 950. 263 12 -12 Groep Bontes/Van Klaveren afgesplitst van PVV n. v. t. Louis Bontes - 2 n. v. t. Roland van Vliet afgesplitst van PVV n. v. t. Roland van Vliet - 1 n. v. t. Socialistische Partij (SP) Socialisme Emile Roemer 909. 853 15 0 Christen-Democratisch Appèl (CDA) Christendemocratie Sybrand van Haersma Buma 801. 620 13 -8 Democraten 66 (D 66) Progressief liberalisme Alexander Pechtold 757. 091 12 +2 Christen. Unie (CU) Christelijk-sociaal Arie Slob 294. 586 5 0 Groen. Links (GL) Ecologisme Jolande Sap Bram van Ojik 219. 896 4 -6 Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (SGP) Reformatorisch Kees van der Staaij 196. 780 3 +1 Partij voor de Dieren (Pvd. D) Dierenrechten Marianne Thieme 182. 162 2 0 50 Plus (50 Plus) Ouderen Henk Krol 177. 631 1 +1 Klein Afgesplitst van 50 Plus n. v. t Norbert Klein - 1 n. v. t. Houwers Afgesplitst van VVD n. v. t Johan Houwers - 1 n. v. t.

Europe

Europe Politico-economic union: 28 countries Capital: Brussels + Straatsburg 4. 381. 376 km 2 507. 000 citizens (116 citizens km 2) Government: President, European Commission + European Council • Parliament: 751 members (26 Netherlands) • Fractions: 7 political fractions • • •

European Parliament Europese Volkspartij Progressieve Alliantie van Socialisten en Democraten Europese Conservatieven en Hervormers Alliantie van Liberalen en Democraten voor Europa Europees Unitair Links/Noords Groen Links (3) De Groenen/Vrije Europese Alliantie Europa van Vrijheid en Directe Democratie Niet-fractiegebonden leden 220 (5) 191 (3) 70 (2) 68 (7) 52 50 (2) 48 52 (4) Totaal 751 (26)

USA • • federation of states constitutional republic with a president capital: Washington 50 states 9. 629. 091 km 2 316. 668. 56 citizens (33 km 2) Congress of the USA (Senate + House) electors chose the president

Congress of the USA • • Senate (upper house) (100 members) House of Representatives (lower house) (435 members) Ho. R: representing a district election for two years Senate: every state two senators election for six years Senate: 56% R. + 44% D. Ho. R: 54% R. , 44% D. + 2% independent

Massachusetts

Massachusetts State Capital: Boston 27. 336 km 2 6. 745. 408 citizens (324 citizens km 2) Governor: Charlie Baker (R) US senators: Elizabeth Warren + Ed Markey (D) • US House: 11 Democrats • President elections 2012: 61% D. and 38% R. • • •

Some differences • Elections political body’s: local, office for water and dykes, province, parliament and Europe • Police: between 1945 -1993 local police, since 1993 regional police, since 2013 national police • Fire brigade: local brigades in smaller communities vs. professional brigades in city’s and regional offices • Mayor: city council vs. citizens (USA) • Referendum: advisory vs. decision making (California)

Alexis de Tocqueville (1805 -1859)