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

Personal history Study Sociology UvA ( ) Study Political Science UvA ( ) Policy Advisor Friends of the Earth ( ) Policy Advisor City of Amsterdam ( ) Head Centre of Knowledge, Nicis Institute, The Haque( ) Senior Advisor Platform31 ( ) Owner Office of Public Values (2014-….)

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

Main political tendency’s PvdA -egalitarian-liberal (social-democrats) VVD- individual-market (conservative-liberalism) CDA- communitarianism (christian-democrats) D66-meritocratic (progressive liberalism) PVV-populism (immigrants – islam - nationalism) GL-environmental (former pacifist, radicals, communist) PvdD-animal rights CU-christian religious

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

Castricum 60 km citizens (690 citizens km 2 ) Mayor: Toon Mans (VVD) City Council: 23 members Fractions: VVD, D66, PvdA, CDA, SP, GL, GDB, CKenG, Vrije Lijst (9 parties) Board of Alderman: VVD, D66, PvdA en CKenG BUCH: merging of administrations (2016)

BUCH (Bergen, Uitgeest, Castricum, Heiloo)

Budget Castricum

Castricum citizens ( households) 260 citizens have a social benefit primary students high school 160 children special education 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

Voluntary way of coöperation 7 municipality’s citizens 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 km citizens (1.018 citizens km2) 51 municipality’s Elections electorate 55 members 12 political fractions

Province of Noord-Holland

Netherlands Decentralized unitarian state Capital: Amsterdam km citizens (406 citizens km 2 ) Government: VVD + PvdA 2 nd Chamber: 150 members (11 political fractions) 1 st Chamber: 75 members (chosen by members 12 provinces) Fractions 2 nd Chamber: new (splitted)

2 nd Chamber of Parliament FractieIdeologie Lijsttrekker Lijsttrekker in 2012 FractievoorzitterStemmenZetelsVerschil Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en DemocratieVolkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD)Conservatief-liberalismeMark RutteHalbe Zijlstra Partij van de ArbeidPartij van de Arbeid (PvdA)SociaaldemocratieDiederik Samsom Groep Kuzu/Öztürkafgesplitst van PvdAn.v.t.Tunahan Kuzu-2n.v.t. Partij voor de VrijheidPartij voor de Vrijheid (PVV)PopulismePopulisme [2] [2] Geert Wilders Groep Bontes/Van Klaverenafgesplitst van PVVn.v.t.Louis Bontes-2n.v.t. Roland van Vlietafgesplitst van PVVn.v.t.Roland van Vliet-1n.v.t. Socialistische PartijSocialistische Partij (SP)SocialismeEmile Roemer Christen-Democratisch AppèlChristen-Democratisch Appèl (CDA)ChristendemocratieSybrand van Haersma Buma Democraten 66Democraten 66 (D66)Progressief liberalismeAlexander Pechtold ChristenUnieChristenUnie (CU)Christelijk-sociaalArie Slob GroenLinksGroenLinks (GL)EcologismeJolande SapBram van Ojik Staatkundig Gereformeerde PartijStaatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (SGP)ReformatorischKees van der Staaij Partij voor de DierenPartij voor de Dieren (PvdD)DierenrechtenMarianne Thieme Plus50Plus (50Plus)OuderenHenk Krol KleinAfgesplitst van 50Plusn.v.tNorbert Klein-1n.v.t. HouwersAfgesplitst van VVDn.v.tJohan Houwers-1 n.v.t.

Europe

Politico-economic union: 28 countries Capital: Brussels + Straatsburg km citizens (116 citizens km2) Government: President, European Commission + European Council Parliament: 751 members (26 Netherlands) Fractions: 7 political fractions

European Parliament Europese VolkspartijEuropese Volkspartij220 (5) Progressieve Alliantie van Socialisten en DemocratenProgressieve Alliantie van Socialisten en Democraten191 (3) Europese Conservatieven en HervormersEuropese Conservatieven en Hervormers 70 (2) Alliantie van Liberalen en Democraten voor EuropaAlliantie van Liberalen en Democraten voor Europa 68 (7) Europees Unitair Links/Noords Groen LinksEuropees Unitair Links/Noords Groen Links 52 (3) De Groenen/Vrije Europese AlliantieDe Groenen/Vrije Europese Alliantie 50 (2) Europa van Vrijheid en Directe DemocratieEuropa van Vrijheid en Directe Democratie 48 - Niet-fractiegebonden ledenNiet-fractiegebonden leden 52 (4) Totaal 751 (26)

USA federation of states constitutional republic with a president capital: Washington 50 states km 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) HoR: representing a district election for two years Senate: every state two senators election for six years Senate: 56% R. + 44% D. HoR: 54% R., 44% D. + 2% independent

Massachusetts

State Capital: Boston km 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 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 ( )