Politics should be brought closer to the citizens and democracy will improve as a result. This is a widely shared opinion among Dutch political parties. Another widely shared opinion is that the...Show morePolitics should be brought closer to the citizens and democracy will improve as a result. This is a widely shared opinion among Dutch political parties. Another widely shared opinion is that the municipality is closest to the citizens. From these notions political parties draw the logical conclusion that decentralizing roles and powers to municipalities enhances democracy. Central in this thesis is the question whether the political parties are right and that from the perspective of democracy local politics are closest to the citizen indeed. Political parties differ in their interpretations of the word ‘closer’. By combining these interpretations with different perspectives on democracy I have identified three aspects by which the central research question can be investigated: representation, political involvement and responsiveness. On these three aspects I have compared local politics to national and provincial politics. For this comparison I have used evidence from existing surveys and inquiries and actual data. I have found little evidence that local politics are closer to the citizens than national politics. The Dutch Lower House is more representative than the average municipal council, except for the point of education. Citizens themselves believe national politics to be more important and they are more interested in national politics. National politics play a larger role in the municipal elections than local politcs do. The turnout in local elections is lower than in national elections. The knowledge of local politics is probably lower than the knowledge of national politics. However citizens are satisfied with their local authority, especially when it comes to services.Show less
Analysis of the breakdown of Thai democracy in September 2006. Based on general theroretical axiomas on democratic consolidation and democratic breakdown a qualitative and a quantitative analysis...Show moreAnalysis of the breakdown of Thai democracy in September 2006. Based on general theroretical axiomas on democratic consolidation and democratic breakdown a qualitative and a quantitative analysis are used to provide possible causes for the breakdown of democracy in Thailand. Economical circumstances, the interpretation of democracy or socialization cannot be identified as causes for the breakdown. Especially interesting is that income and appreciation of democracy are correlated negatively in Thailand in 2002 and 2006. From 2002 to 2006 interpersonal trust is decreased while distrust has increased.Show less
This thesis sets up a model for political tolerance among minority groups in the Netherlands, which consists of two dimensions. The first determines whether the group has been a victim of...Show moreThis thesis sets up a model for political tolerance among minority groups in the Netherlands, which consists of two dimensions. The first determines whether the group has been a victim of discrimination and because of their struggles the individuals have grown more tolerant towards others. The other dimension is the division between bridging and bonding networks, with the latter making people less tolerant. This research confirms the second assumption, but not the first.Show less
Since the adoption of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, the European Union (EU) has seemed to work towards a unification of foreign policy interests of all member states. However, the most recent case...Show moreSince the adoption of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, the European Union (EU) has seemed to work towards a unification of foreign policy interests of all member states. However, the most recent case of Libya reveals that the EU is still torn when it comes to questions of foreign policy and especially the deployments of military troops. Within the last twenty years, a number of international crises have pointed out the deficiencies of the EU with regard to these issues. With this thesis, I aim to find reasons for the inability of the EU in questions of foreign policy, and particularly military action-taking within an EU framework. I argue that the role of Germany in this context is rather crucial. As the largest and most powerful member state, Germany’s position has a large influence on the actions of the EU. Germany has been very reluctant towards using military power after the horrible events in World War II (WWII), and hence, I pose the research question: ‘To what extent does Germany’s aversion to the use of military power due to historic reasons affect the EU’s ability to speak with a common voice on issues of security and defense?’ My main argument is the following: ‘The inability of the EU to speak with a common voice with regard to military action is due to several aspects, with the largest influence being Germany’s aversion to use military power due to reasons of guilt and the country’s history’. In my thesis I find that a number of reasons may influence the inability of the EU to speak with a common voice; however, the largest effect seems to have Germany and the country’s still-existing reluctance towards using military means due to its history and consequential guilt sentiments.Show less
Abstract A much debated question is the question whether or not politicians follow public opinion. This research tries to shed light on that question, by investigating if politicians follow the...Show moreAbstract A much debated question is the question whether or not politicians follow public opinion. This research tries to shed light on that question, by investigating if politicians follow the public in the area of political tolerance. However, instead of linking thoughts about political tolerance among the public with thoughts of politicians, this research tries to link thoughts about political tolerance among the public with actions conducted by politicians. In other words, do politicians act more (or less) tolerant when the public is more (or less) tolerant? This question is investigated by doing a content analysis of state of the union addresses. These results are then compared with survey results considering political tolerance among the public to see whether or not there is a relationship between the two variables. After this analysis, it is concluded that the level of political tolerance among the public, and the level of tolerance in actions conducted by politicians are negatively related, where actions by politicians become more (less) tolerant when the public is less (more) tolerant.Show less
In the past, the threat of nuclear arms and the states and actors that might gain access to such technology has resulted in the pre-emptive use of military force against states. Israel attacked...Show moreIn the past, the threat of nuclear arms and the states and actors that might gain access to such technology has resulted in the pre-emptive use of military force against states. Israel attacked Iraq (Operation Opera in 1981) and Syria (Operation Orchard in 2007) in order to prevent or forcefully disrupt their nuclear proliferation efforts. Currently, concern about Iran’s nuclear program has raised debate about the possibility of an Israeli pre-emptive attack. This thesis employs hypotheses from realist, constructivist and liberal theory to explain the use of force in counter-proliferation, using a strategy of within-case and across-case analysis of both prior attacks. I locate determining conditions that led Israel to use force in counter proliferation. The hypotheses explore conditions such as uncertainty about state identity, the perception of threat, the risk of shift in regional power balance, prior military hostility, hostile public statements made by state leaders, undeterrability and the domestic support of state leaders. Most of these conditions are present in the current case of Iran, when considering the possibility of a pre-emptive Israeli attack. If Iran’s military support to Hezbollah is interpreted as indirect military hostility, all the conditions for an Israeli pre-emptive attack would be present, when considering the conditions leading to the previous two Israeli attacks in counter proliferation. The analysis suggests there is a high chance that this will cause Israel to use pre-emptive force in order to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities, as the “Begin Doctrine”, on which Israel’s security policy is based, will not accept such high security risks.Show less
De moderne techniek speelt een steeds grotere rol in het dagelijkse leven van de mens en ontwikkelt zich alsmaar sneller. Soms gaan deze ontwikkelingen zo snel dat zij niet meer beheerst kunnen...Show moreDe moderne techniek speelt een steeds grotere rol in het dagelijkse leven van de mens en ontwikkelt zich alsmaar sneller. Soms gaan deze ontwikkelingen zo snel dat zij niet meer beheerst kunnen worden, de techniek dreigt dan buiten de controle van de mens te komen staan. Wanneer de technische vooruitgang niet alleen uit controle raakt maar ook een bedreiging van de vrijheid van de mens begint te vormen dient de staat in te grijpen en de technische vooruitgang te beheersen.Show less
This thesis discusses the impact of opposition movements in effecting regime transition in Syria and Egypt during the Arab Spring, analyzing their organizational structure, objectives, strategies,...Show moreThis thesis discusses the impact of opposition movements in effecting regime transition in Syria and Egypt during the Arab Spring, analyzing their organizational structure, objectives, strategies, legitimacy, and de facto power. It starts out from the premise that it is crucial that the opposition influences 'soft-liners' within the regime to undermine its internal cohesion and stability. It is argued that the opposition in both countries has been durable due to intrinsic motivations of the participants and widespread social dissatisfaction, and their diffuse yet coherent grassroots forms of organization have rendered them hard to repress by the regime. In both countries, however, the opposition was unable to overthrow the regime by itself since it did not have sufficient military power resources to pose a real threat to the regime's survival. In Syria, the opposition could not generate enough division among the elite, while in Egypt, division already existed among the elite and this was augmented by the opposition, with the acquiescence of the military proving crucial in the regime transition. The extent of influence of the opposition was heavily constrained by the political opportunity structures in which they operated, with repression by the regime playing a large role and curtailing agency.Show less
In deze scriptie zijn twee argumenten voor een democratisch bedrijf ontkracht, namelijk het right for meaningful work argument en parallel case argument. Er is geprobeerd aan te geven welke...Show moreIn deze scriptie zijn twee argumenten voor een democratisch bedrijf ontkracht, namelijk het right for meaningful work argument en parallel case argument. Er is geprobeerd aan te geven welke problemen deze argumenten opleveren. Ook is er geprobeerd een andere rechtvaardiging voor inspraak van werknemers in hun bedrijf te geven.Show less
The European Union is seen as an institution in which member states pool or transfer their sovereignty. This research will analyze the relationship between sovereignty and the European Union in an...Show moreThe European Union is seen as an institution in which member states pool or transfer their sovereignty. This research will analyze the relationship between sovereignty and the European Union in an attempt to explore what happens to sovereignty and if concerns of losing sovereignty to the European Union are legit.Show less
The main goal of this article is to find out in what way discrete negative emotions are of influence regarding a person's level of tolerance. To investigate this matter, an experiment among Dutch...Show moreThe main goal of this article is to find out in what way discrete negative emotions are of influence regarding a person's level of tolerance. To investigate this matter, an experiment among Dutch citizens was conducted to discover the impact of fear, anger and hatred on tolerance attitudes. Besides that, a person's perception of threat may be an important factor in explaining already existing emotions like fear. Because previous literature has pointed out that a person's perception of threat and felt emotions towards a certain group are closely connected, the research in this article will combine findings of threat perception and emotional responses in explaining political tolerance attitudes. The research question for this study is therefore: In what way do discrete negative emotions and perceptions of threat regarding a certain out-group effect a person's level of tolerance towards that out-group.Show less
Advanced master thesis | Political Science (Advanced Master)
open access
Under which conditions do rebel groups in multi-party civil wars form alliances? This paper proposes that rebel groups, just as nation states, find themselves in an anarchic context and as a result...Show moreUnder which conditions do rebel groups in multi-party civil wars form alliances? This paper proposes that rebel groups, just as nation states, find themselves in an anarchic context and as a result are trapped in a multi tiered dilemma; on the one hand they face a security dilemma which leads them to strive for cooperation, on the other hand they face the commitment problem and fear betrayal. This paper looks at three variables ‘identity’, ‘ideology’ and ‘foreign support’ as factors that are expected to reduce uncertainty, thus should help overcome the commitment problem and ultimately increase the likelihood that an inter-rebel alliance will form. Looking at two cases of inter-rebel alliances that formed during the war in Darfur; the Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M) and the National Redemption Front (NRF) this analysis presents an exploratory attempt to identify factors and conditions that make an inter-rebel alliance more likely.Show less
