In every democratic country in the world, elections are a very common occurrence. In modern times, the electoral systems change too, resulting in the emergence of electronic voting. This research...Show moreIn every democratic country in the world, elections are a very common occurrence. In modern times, the electoral systems change too, resulting in the emergence of electronic voting. This research distinguishes voting on voting machines and Internet voting and compares the cases of the Netherlands, Belgium and Estonia to understand the most important factors to drive implementation of digital voting initiatives. The technological aspects of this have been researched enough by other authors, so this research focusses on the success factors generated by the Enacting Electronic Government Success (EEGS) framework. To place it in a historical perspective, the Historical Institutionalist view is added. The unique contribution of this research is to derive success factors of digital voting from the perspective of frameworks closely related to e-Governance, that have not yet researched digital voting.Show less
This paper sought to find out how public healthcare employees with an ethnic minority background experience more job stress than their native Dutch counterparts. Based on existing literature it was...Show moreThis paper sought to find out how public healthcare employees with an ethnic minority background experience more job stress than their native Dutch counterparts. Based on existing literature it was expected that ethnic minority public healthcare staff has less job resources and more job demands due to their experiences with differential treatment at work, resulting in higher levels of job stress. The research question was answered through deductive qualitative research with interviews. The empirical findings confirmed the theoretical expectations. Generally, the cultural distance felt by ethnic minority employees made them lack social support in job settings with predominantly native Dutch colleagues, leading to less job resources. Furthermore, experiences with differential treatment at any intensity increased emotional demand from work, leading to more job demands. The enlarged imbalance between job resources and demands increased job stress. These effects were experienced by respondents in various degrees. Overall, respondents could be categorised into three groups: Those who felt their ethnic background strongly has a negative impact on their job stress, those who felt their ethnic background may sometimes have a negative impact on their job stress and those who did not feel as though their ethnic background significantly impacts their job stress.Show less
This paper provides evidence for a correlation between social trust and people’s preference for government ownership of businesses and industries using regression analysis. The model of analysis is...Show moreThis paper provides evidence for a correlation between social trust and people’s preference for government ownership of businesses and industries using regression analysis. The model of analysis is built using theoretical elements previously presented in the already existing literature. In large part, this study looks at Elinor Ostrom’s Theory of Collective Action as a reference (1998). After analysis of the results, the conclusion is that this correlation operates through a lack of incentivisation for free riding, enabled by the social elements of reputation, reciprocity and trust. These conclusions ought to be taken into account together with the literature which studies the relationship between social capital and calls for redistribution.Show less
The Kyoto Protocol, a legally binding international treaty, has established a limit on global warming of 1.5ºC. However, current scientific estimates indicate that the world is on track to reach a...Show moreThe Kyoto Protocol, a legally binding international treaty, has established a limit on global warming of 1.5ºC. However, current scientific estimates indicate that the world is on track to reach a warming of 3ºC. This study aims to investigate the relationship between environmental policy, green innovation, emissions, and economic activity by analysing a sample of the most politically, technologically, and economically influential countries in the world over the past 25 years. The results suggest that market-based policies have a positive effect on eco-innovation of 6% while non-market policies have decreased emissions by 4% between 1995 and 2019. Additionally, the study finds that environmental policy can have a positive impact on economic activity, particularly when complemented by increasing oil prices. In order to achieve both economic growth and sustainability, this study recommends that the G20 countries increase their environmental policy stringency.Show less
According to ‘De Nederlandsche Bank’ (DNB), central bank of The Netherlands, overheating in the Dutch housing market is partly caused by policy measures that increase the financing capacity of...Show moreAccording to ‘De Nederlandsche Bank’ (DNB), central bank of The Netherlands, overheating in the Dutch housing market is partly caused by policy measures that increase the financing capacity of households. Starter loans increase the financing capacity of starters with the aim of making a first owner-occupied home more feasible for starters. Literature on credit and house prices argues that an increase in the total credit volume results in an increase of house prices. Since starter loans increase the financing possibilities of starters by providing credit, it is expected that starter loans will result in an additional price increase of house prices. The relationship between starter loans and house prices is studied by means of a panel data regression with municipality and time-fixed effects. The results in this thesis show that there is a relationship between starter loans and house prices. The estimated effects of starter loans show a negative and positive effect on house prices. Which makes it insufficiently clear whether starter loans lead to an increase in house prices or not.Show less
The European microstates Andorra, Liechtenstein and the Holy See have only been partially integrated into the multi-level framework of the European Union (EU). What is puzzling to academics...Show moreThe European microstates Andorra, Liechtenstein and the Holy See have only been partially integrated into the multi-level framework of the European Union (EU). What is puzzling to academics specialized in European Integration is the stark contrast to the degree of integration into the European Union experienced by Malta and Luxembourg which have both fully integrated into the European community in comparison to these microstates. The resultant regulatory and political discrepancies between each of these microstates is investigated in this paper with an investigation into the possibility of further integration for the unincorporated microstates. The different routes to integration of economic, political, and diplomatic arrangements follow in line with the 2013 Association Framework agreement established by Brussels which this paper will use to conceptualize an analysis into wider microstate integration. This paper assumes that intergovernmental agreements between microstates and their EU member state neighbors reduce the incentives for integration into the European Union. Other assumptions rely on an investigation into the value that European microstates have in maintaining their sovereignty at the expense of gains through European integration. It also investigates economic development of these microstates to their degree of integration as a control variable, of which there is less of an impact than intergovernmental agreements. The findings of this paper highlight the importance that microstates show towards intergovernmental agreements over supranational integration.Show less
This study examines the applicability of the e-Government cloud adoption model by Liang et al. (2017) in the context of Logius, a central government organization in the Netherlands. By conducting a...Show moreThis study examines the applicability of the e-Government cloud adoption model by Liang et al. (2017) in the context of Logius, a central government organization in the Netherlands. By conducting a mixed-methods approach encompassing qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey, the study investigates the factors and mechanisms influencing public cloud adoption at Logius. The findings validate the model's relevance, despite its examination in a different context than the one it is developed in. The study identifies 17 factors, categorized into five determinants: cloud trust, technological drivers, cloud provider support, organization readiness, and environmental stimuli. It confirms that technological drivers and cloud provider support indirectly impact public cloud adoption through cloud trust, while environmental stimuli moderate the relationship between cloud trust and adoption. However, no such interrelation is found for organizational readiness. Additionally, the study extends the model by incorporating factors like trialability, internal expertise, and economic conditions.Show less
This study uses the Technology Enactment Framework (TEF) to explore how the Customs administrations of Türkiye and the Netherlands design and implement AI technology in their automated detection...Show moreThis study uses the Technology Enactment Framework (TEF) to explore how the Customs administrations of Türkiye and the Netherlands design and implement AI technology in their automated detection pilot projects to facilitate legal trade and detect illicit trade at border crossing points. It also displays what organizational elements can be learnt from the two cases to add to the limited literature in AI applications in the public sector. At the end of the research, AI Technology Enactment Flowcharts for the two administrations, a Comparison Table and a Proposed Extended AI TEF for Customs were developed. Validating the TEF, the research also identified AI-technology specific organizational forms, institutional arrangements and project processes facilitating or impeding the pilot projects in the two customs administrations.Show less
This research examines the impact of COVID-19 on gender differences in employee perceptions of job satisfaction in the Netherlands. Using a fixed effects regression approach with longitudinal data...Show moreThis research examines the impact of COVID-19 on gender differences in employee perceptions of job satisfaction in the Netherlands. Using a fixed effects regression approach with longitudinal data from the LISS data archive from the years 2018 to 2022, this study examines the effects of COVID-19 on job satisfaction and investigates gender-specific differences. Contrary to initial expectations, the analysis finds no significant difference in job satisfaction between men and women when considering year-specific gender differences. Furthermore, the impact of COVID-19 on job satisfaction appears to be limited, with relatively stable levels observed across the examined years (2020, 2021, and 2022) compared to the base year of 2019. Thereby this research contributes to the understanding of job satisfaction dynamics in the Dutch labour market.Show less
Since the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and its increased use in the public sector, there has been a two-fold debate in practice and academia about the relationship between transparency and...Show moreSince the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and its increased use in the public sector, there has been a two-fold debate in practice and academia about the relationship between transparency and trust. On the one hand, transparency can create an open government culture and improve trust; on the other hand, transparency confuses citizens and leads to delegitimization of government. This research contributes to the debate by examining the effect of algorithmic decision-making transparency on institutional trust and procedural fairness's role in this relationship through a quantitative vignette study focusing on enforcing parking fines. The study distinguishes itself from others by measuring institutional trust by three dimensions (competence, benevolence, and honesty) and transparency by two dimensions (accessibility and explainability). The results reveal that: (1) accessibility increases institutional trust and trust in the competence and benevolence of the institution; (2) explainability increases institutional trust and trust in the competence of the institution; (3) procedural fairness negatively affects the relationship between accessibility and institutional trust and between accessibility and trust in the competence of the institution; (3) procedural fairness positively affects the relationship between explainability and trust in the benevolence of the institution. These results imply that institutional trust is multidimensional and can be influenced differently but that access and explainability of decision-making increase trust. Furthermore, local governments can make greater use of the Dutch algorithm registry to provide citizens with access and explanations of decision-making to enhance trust in the institution.Show less
Deposit Guarentee Scheme, Directive, De Nederlandsche Bank, European Commission, The European Central Bank, Policy Learning, Single-Case Study, Process Tracing
An income rule determines household eligibility for the energy allowance at a maximum of 120% of the minimum wage. This thesis examines the effect of the energy allowance on the mental and physical...Show moreAn income rule determines household eligibility for the energy allowance at a maximum of 120% of the minimum wage. This thesis examines the effect of the energy allowance on the mental and physical health of eligible Dutch cohabiting households below and above the AOW pension age. It does so by utilizing a sharp regression discontinuity design to compare the mental and physical health statuses of eligible and non-eligible households. This thesis does find evidence for significant changes on the mental and physical health of Dutch cohabiting households below the AOW pension age. However, the findings reveal a negative association between the energy allowance on depression levels of Dutch cohabiting households above the AOW pension age. This thesis advises the Dutch government to reconsider the income threshold used for the energy allowance and encourages future research to investigate the health effects of the energy allowance more profoundly.Show less
